WHEN Geelong star Max Holmes went down with an ankle injury against St Kilda in round 19, the Cats' chances of winning the premiership looked in deep trouble.

Injuries were mounting and Chris Scott had to begin planning for the future without his two-time reigning best and fairest winner.

Enter James Worpel. 

Having made the move from Hawthorn during the off-season, Worpel's campaign got off to a rocky start, missing a handful of matches early due to a finger infection.

Geelong's prized recruit had sliced his finger open after dropping a glass, the wound becoming infected after the club's Opening Round clash against the Suns.

The ex-Hawk returned in round five against the Eagles, but never really got going. Worpel was then left out of the squad in round 10 against the Lions and didn’t feature again at senior level for the next eight matches.

But in his last three senior outings Worpel has started to find his groove, the tough nut averaging 21 disposals, 6.6 tackles and 5.6 clearances per game.

His career at Kardinia Park may not have started smoothly, but he's now cemented his place in Chris Scott’s best 23.

"Hopefully (I can stay in the side). We've got so many role players in the team and I'm just trying to be one of them and be the best player I can," he told afl.com.au.

"I'm trying to fit into the new team how they need me, I'm playing that inside mid role, trying to put my head in the hole and win some clearances."

Rather than being frustrated or angry about his stint in the twos, Worpel knew it would only be a matter of time before he got his chance again.

"That's just footy. I knew they were a great footy club coming in and they're such a good team. I was out of favour for a little bit there, but I'm back in now and loving my time at the club," he said.

Scott praised Worpel's ability to come in and have an impact straight away, overcoming his form issues at the start of 2026.

"With a little bit of a different look through our midfield group, in particular we'd love to have Holmes in there for example, but there's been a slight change up," Scott told reporters after Geelong's win over Collingwood. 

"I sort of give James Worpel his flowers, he's had to bide his time a little bit in the VFL, which to a lot of people wouldn't have been making much sense because he was playing such good footy. He’s come in and really helped us in that respect."

Star forward Jeremy Cameron is also on the sidelines with a shoulder injury, but the Cats haven't stumbled without their star duo.

Instead, others, like Worpel, have stood up.

Jay Polkinghorne has stepped into Cameron's role in attack seamlessly, while Oli Wiltshire has added another dimension to a forward line boasting the likes of Shannon Neale and Oliver Henry.

Ollie Dempsey is in All-Australian contention after an outstanding campaign, while the likes of Lawson Humphries and Connor O’Sullivan continue to improve. 

Young ruck Mitch Edwards is getting better with every game he plays and former top 10 draft pick Jhye Clark is starting to realise his potential at AFL level.

Irishman Oisin Mullin is also having a career-best campaign, having gone head-to-head with Collingwood gun Nick Daicos last week.

"Mullin's been great for us, he plays a role every week and is so selfless. We kind of work around him a bit, but help him out as much as we can," Worpel said. 

"He's one of those blokes you love playing with, he gets the job done, no fuss, doesn't carry on and is a great club man."

Gone are the days where the Cats might solely rely on the brilliance of a Patrick Dangerfield or Bailey Smith to drag them over the line.

Two of his biggest stars might be unavailable, but perhaps Chris Scott’s biggest weapon now is the fact you don’t know who’s going to get you on any given day.