GEELONG is confident that Tom Hawkins and Steven Motlop will be fit to play in Saturday's big clash with the Sydney Swans at Simonds Stadium, although veteran Paul Chapman remains locked in a battle to squeeze his way back into the team.
Motlop was subbed out of the win over West Coast last weekend after experiencing some hamstring tightness, while Hawkins, who has been struggling to overcome a back injury, missed the game as part of a plan to have him fit and firing for the finals.
Hawkins was back out on the training track on Tuesday morning and moved reasonably well during the session.
"The early indications are really positive, but… him playing this week isn't as important as where he is in three or four weeks' time," Geelong coach Chris Scott said.
"At this early stage, our medical staff and conditioning staff are positive that he's in good shape and is likely to play, but it's not a decision that we'll make until later in the week."
Sports medico Dr Peter Larkins recently stated that Hawkins has a bulging L4-L5 lumbar disc, which has been causing inflammation around the lower part of his spine.
But Scott is adamant that "it's more complicated than that. That's a simplistic diagnosis.
"Suffice to say it's something he's been able to play with all year. In the context of what AFL players play through, it's actually not that significant.
"It's clearly inhibiting him, but it was never something our staff were worried about longer-term."
Motlop's injury concerns have been far less serious. He trained freely on Tuesday morning and Scott is "confident that he'll be okay this week".
While Motlop is a walk-up start in Geelong's team these days, Chapman faces a struggle to force his way in.
The 31-year-old has played three matches in the VFL since returning from a long hamstring-related lay-off.
Chapman was a dominant performer in the Cats' VFL victory over Port Melbourne on Saturday, but it remains to be seen whether he has done enough to be promoted to take on the Swans.
"As with all the players in our team, no one has a golden ticket," Scott said.
"He needs to play well enough to prove that he's close to full fitness, but he also needs to play well enough to push out the other players in contention for our best 22.
"We've got eight or nine guys in the VFL at the moment we'd be happy to play in our AFL team. He's one of those.
"We'd like him to play some AFL footy before the finals, but it's not a given and it's still not a given this week."
The Cats have finally conceded that ruckman Hamish McIntosh will not make it onto the field this season.
McIntosh joined Geelong from North Melbourne in last year's trade period, but he will not play his first game in the hoops until 2014 after being sidelined by a number of leg injuries.
"This year's done for Hamish," Scott said. "Unfortunately, it's one that we've got to write off as one of those years.
"Not much that has happened to Hamish has been within his control, and we feel desperately sorry for him because we brought him in thinking that he could have a big impact in improving our team this season.
"But whether it's fair or not, Hamish now has a responsibility to do everything he possibly can to get himself right so he can contribute through the pre-season and next year.
"The club has made a big investment in him. We still stand by that investment, but … Hamish has got to come back and do something extraordinary for the next couple of seasons."
