Geelong ruckman Steven King could return from six weeks out with a knee injury in the Bendigo Bank Cats’ clash with Frankston at Frankston Oval on Sunday.
Coach Leigh Tudor confirmed last night the former captain was a chance to play, saying his inclusion will be a massive boost for the ladder-leading Cats.
“It looks like if he gets through training tomorrow he will (play). At this stage he’s really confident and it’s really good to have him back,” he said.
“Before he actually hurt his knee, it was like the Steven King of old, so hopefully it won’t take him long to get back that touch and he can start pushing for senior selection.”
Tom Lonergan will enter his third match back from a life-threatening kidney injury on the verge of reinforcing himself at VFL level.
The courageous defender has slipped back into competitive football somewhat nonchalantly, generating more confidence with every minute he plays.
“He’s been really good for us,” Tudor said.
“Even last week when Sam Hunt broke his finger, he put his hand up to go down to full back and said ‘if you need me to play down there I will,’ so he’s ready to play out games in any position if need be.”
Stand-alone Frankton sits one game outside the eight with four wins, but raises a gear at home and prides itself on a formidable home ground advantage.
The Dolphins have a tendency of unleashing an intense and fierce display of football against opposition sides with a large AFL contingent. The Cats are expecting to field 16 AFL-listed players.
Tudor said Frankston comprises some exciting young footballers, with the potential to cause headaches through the midfield.
“They’re a very good running side – they’ve got a good running brigade. I’d expect them to run and carry as much as they can and move the ball quickly,” he said.
“We’re going to have to come prepared to play, particularly at Frankston – it’s always a hard trip down there – so we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Tudor confirmed Nathan Djerrkura and Liam Bedford are “another week away” from returning from quad injuries, while Sam Hunt will miss after injuring his finger last week.
The Cats emerged proud and dignified from their commanding victory over Williamstown last week, where the side’s experienced players stood up to lead the charge.
“They certainly did and that’s what we need – we’ve got quite an experienced side,” Tudor said.
“If we can get four of the top six best players being the older guys, it will put us in good stead to win most games.”
Tudor praised the maturity of his side, which displayed a high calibre of football in its 33-point victory last week.
He said the side’s clinical performance was a sign of its professionalism in the lead up to the match, a trend he hopes the players will sustain throughout the season.
“Their preparation last week for the match against Willy was first class, so that’s the expectation of the squad for the rest of the year now that they come prepared to play,” he said.
“If they do come prepared to play like last week, we’ll win more than we lose.”
The Cats have a strong record at Frankston City Oval, having only lost one match from five matches at the ground since 2001.
When the sides last met in round three this season, Geelong won comfortably by 36 points at Skilled Stadium.
The action gets underway from 2pm on Sunday. The match will be broadcast live on 1611AM Double X radio.
