Return date remains unclear for injury-riddled Geelong duo Cam Guthrie and Toby Conway as Tom Hawkins on track

A best-and-fairest winner and an emerging youngster remain under injury clouds, but it is good news for a Cats midfielder.

Injured-riddled Geelong duo Cam Guthrie and Toby Conway will be sidelined for at least another week as uncertainty surrounds the return date of both players.

The Cats are still probing the dignosis of Conway’s foot injury that has seen him miss the last two matches, while Guthrie has been dealing with an achilles tendon injury since being subbed out in Round 10.

Geelong assistant football boss Brett Johnson said Guthrie’s timeline would become clearer in the next fortnight as he makes progress with his rehab.

Guthrie was due to return after Geelong’s bye in round 15 but his recovery has much been slower than anticipated.

It is the latest in a series of frustrating setbacks in the past 18 months that has restricted Guthrie to 10 games since Geelong’s grand final win in 2022, telling this publication a fortnight ago that it has been “hard to take”.

Cam Guthrie’s return date remains unclear. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Champion forward Tom Hawkins is 4-6 weeks away with his foot complaint and clearance-winning midfielder Tanner Bruhn is expected to return from his broken wrist in the next 1-2 weeks.

In better news for Geelong’s ruck stocks, Rhys Stanley is available for selection after being pulled out of the VFL on the weekend with a minor hip/back complaint.

The veteran ruckman, who hasn’t featured in Geelong’s AFL side since Round 13, took part in light drills in Monday’s minor session.

“The timeline on Cam’s return is still unclear. We’re continuing to assess his progress, and will have a clearer idea on his return to play time frame within the next week or two,” Johnson said.

“Toby has had an issue with his foot that kept him out on the weekend. We’re still investigating the diagnosis and next steps, but he won’t be available this week.

“Hawkins is progressing well with his rehab as well.”

Originally published as Return date remains unclear for injury-riddled Geelong duo Cam Guthrie and Toby Conway as Tom Hawkins on track