Geelong VFL coach Leigh Tudor says he is under no illusion how determined the Cats will be to prove their doubters wrong against Werribee at Skilled Stadium on Sunday morning.

Tudor said his side was embarrassed by its performance in the grand final replay last week and was determined to send a stern warning to the competition this weekend by getting its season back on track.

“They were all disappointed with how they played and they’re really looking forward to getting back into it this week,” Tudor said last night.

“It wasn’t an acceptable performance by a quite a few of them and they know that. They’ve worked really hard on their off-field stuff and their footy training this week.

“They’re pretty keen to get back out there as quick as they can and show the footy world that they’re much better than what they showed last week.”

Tudor said he is expecting his players to embrace the challenge on Sunday after many received pointed advice during the review of their 75-point capitulation to Coburg on Monday.

He said a number of players made life difficult for their teammates by going against the team principles, but conceded that was mainly teething problems as the side adjusted to a vastly different line up.

“If you look at the guys who were in our best last week, it was guys who played their role for the team,” he said.

“That’s exactly what we want Simon (Hogan), Shane (Mumford) and (Brent) Prismall to continue to do, just keep playing their role, week in, week out - it was a good effort by them.

“But I think we’re probably going to be a little bit up and down with so many young players, but I would like to think (last week) is the last time we would be beaten by that much this year.

“We’ve just got to forget last week now, it’s just another game for them, being a pretty young side we’re going to have our ups and downs.

“But we just want them to keep cracking in and keep playing the Geelong way.”

Tudor confirmed both Max Rooke and Prismall would come into senior contention this week, but said a lot was dependent on the wash up of today’s main AFL training session.

Rooke, who has played the last two matches in the VFL, played three quarters against Coburg last week, while Prismall collected 37 touches in typically hardworking style.

Rookie Liam Bedford is rated a reasonable chance to return after missing last week with glut tightness, but must get through a final test today.

Nathan Djerrkura’s injury-plagued induction to league football is set to continue for at least another three weeks, as he battles to overcome the persistent quad injuries that have hampered his first two years at the club.

Captain James Byrne, who was a late withdrawal last week, and Jay Cheep, who sustained a blow above the hip early in the match, face a race against the clock to prove their fitness.

Both are a strong chance to play, but must get through Saturday morning’s final VFL training session.

Tudor said Werribee, which lost comfortably to flag favourite Williamstown last week, loomed as difficult second round opponent.

But despite the Tigers lackluster start to the season, Tudor dismissed suggestions they were the ideal opponent for the Cats to kick start their season.

“Four weeks ago they beat us (in a practice match at Skilled Stadium), Werribee is going to be an enormous challenge for us,” he said.

“We’re going to need to be playing four quarters of footy and four quarters of disciplined footy with every bloke playing their role.

“So to be honest, we’re going to have to worry about ourselves rather than Werribee this week and make sure we’ve got our house in order.”

The side’s 2007 premiership flag will be hoisted at the completion of the match as part of a historic day of celebrations in the club’s 149-year history.

But Tudor admitted the unfurling of the VFL flag had lost a lot of its sentimentality, given the Cats will comprise just a quarter of the side that won the premiership seven months ago.

“I’m worried about this year now, it will be great for the fans to see all that sort of stuff, but it’s a bit either way for me now,” Tudor said.

“We’re just worried about this year and trying to develop our next lot of Geelong players, so it was a fantastic effort from the boys last year, but last week we had six players who played in the grand final side.

“It doesn’t have the same effect with the group this year than if all those players from last year were here.

“With so many players not here, it’s not the same, we’re a totally different side, but it will be good for the supporters and obviously the players who played in it last year to see that happen.”

The match is a curtain raiser to the Geelong-Melbourne clash and starts at 9.30am, with the K-Rock Cup up for grabs.