GEELONG took a "huge risk" by taking three ruckman into its clash with Adelaide, coach Chris Scott admits.
The Cats named Hamish McIntosh for his Geelong debut, rookie utility Mark Blicavs (as substitute) and included the 206cm Dawson Simpson as a late replacement.
McIntosh was playing his first game since round seven, 2012, while Simpson had played 11 games in five years leading into Thursday night.
Blicavs was playing his 23rd AFL game in his second year of full-time football after putting his athletics career on the back-burner.
"We knew it was a huge risk, and I could be standing here with egg on my face," Geelong coach Chris Scott said after the Cats' 38-point win.
"It was made after extreme deliberation, (it) wasn't made flippantly. We didn't just throw them in there and hope for the best, we were very considered. In the end you can look really silly if the guys don't stand up, but they did."
Scott also conceded the Cats took a slight chance on playing captain Joel Selwood against the Crows after a hamstring strain and foot surgery interrupted his pre-season.
Selwood was best afield with 34 possessions, nine clearances, six tackles and two goals.
"(It was) another educated gamble with Joel but we didn't tell any fibs," Scott said.
"He had a fantastic preparation up until he had that little minor ankle issue.
"So we were really confident in his preparation, he just hadn't played much game-time."
The Cats substituted Blicavs, who spent time on the wing and in the ruck, for Simpson in the third quarter.
Blicavs' running power – he is easily the best aerobic athlete at the club – adds another dimension to the Cats' line-up.
"We've been thinking for a long time it's possible for the three of them to play together," Scott said.
"They've all got different attributes. It is going to be horses for courses, but I think we saw tonight there's a possibility it could work long-term."
Cats champion Jimmy Bartel was a stand-out performer in his 250th game, kicking four goals at important junctures of the game.
With James Podsiadly and Paul Chapman departing in the off-season, Scott sought Bartel out in October last year to discuss the prospect of adding to the Cats' forward line.
"He'd play well wherever he played. Jimmy likes a fresh challenge," Scott said.
"He's had a lot of time to think about it and we're one game in so we're not patting ourselves on the back but he's a pretty handy player in the forward 50."
Scott was full of praise for how Bartel had carried himself throughout his distinguished career.
"He's one of our favourites, and I mean ours," Scott said.
"We're probably going to cop a bit of stick for using the line 'the greatest team of all', but we're not talking about our players or the team or even the club, we're talking about something bigger – being part of the Geelong community and supporting a club that's given people a lot of pleasure, particularly over the past 10 years. No one epitomises that like Jimmy."
