GEELONG skipper Joel Selwood will ramp up his training program after the Christmas break, confident the significant ankle injury he suffered late last season will not be an issue that carries over into 2018.
Selwood returned to pre-season training with teammates this week beginning his program on light duties after his involvement in the second Test of the Virgin Australia International Rules Series.
The star Cat sustained an ankle syndesmosis injury against Sydney in round 20, but fought his way back to take part in Geelong's finals campaign.
"The ankle's feeling really good. It was a little bit planned that it would work (this way) until Christmas time," Selwood said on Friday.
"I'll just get to Christmas and feel good and then push through after that.
"I'd say I'll be back in the program next week to an extent with the boys."
Selwood said he could not wait to play with star recruit Gary Ablett again, but how the structure of the midfield with another Brownlow medallist, Patrick Dangerfield, in there remains a wait and see proposition.
"I'm absolutely looking forward to playing with both of them," Selwood said.
"It's always been my dream to play with the best players that you possibly can and we were lucky enough to get Gaz back this year.
"We still think he's got a hell of a lot of good footy in front of him. We look forward to what he can bring to the footy club; not only for myself but we think we can make him play some really good footy towards the end of his career."
Selwood said he had already noticed how engaged Ablett was being back at the club where he made his name.
The former Sun has signed a two-year deal with the Cats following his trade in the off-season.
"What I'm taking out of it now is that I'm seeing a smile on his face the whole time he's in at the club," Selwood said of Ablett.
"He's spending more hours here than he needs to right now.
"He's loving his time back in Geelong and that's how we've got to keep it for the amount of time that he's going to play, and hopefully it's more than two years."
The Cats also officially unveiled GMHBA on Friday as their stadium's naming rights sponsor for the next 10 years.
