Geelong VFL coach Leigh Tudor says the Cats would need to produce one of their best performances of the season to topple in-form Casey Scorpions at Casey Fields on Sunday.
The eighth-placed Cats are yet to string four quarter of football together and are desperate to end a run of second half fade-outs that has plagued their last two matches.
“We haven’t had a four-quarter game all year I don’t think, so it’s just something we’re continuing to work on, playing a consistent, four-quarter effort,” Tudor said.
“We’ve got 10 new guys in the side this year, still earning the way we want them to play. But it’s obviously a big aim this week, to produce a four-quarter effort.
“(Casey) will have a good number of AFL players and they’ve got a really strong VFL list, so we’ll have to play at our best to beat them.”
The Cats last night welcomed back three big inclusions for the crucial clash, with Tom Hawkins, Ryan Gamble and Harry Taylor named in the squad after lengthy stints in the AFL.
Rookie-listed Brodie Moles, who was a late withdrawal against North Ballarat with an ankle injury two weeks’ ago, was named in the Cats’ squad after overcoming a niggling ankle injury.
But the news was not so good for rugged defender David Johnson, who was left out of the team after failing a final fitness test on his hamstring at training yesterday morning.
Hawkins has been named in the VFL for the first time this season after playing the first 10 matches in the AFL as the support act to Cameron Mooney.
Gamble will also line up in the VFL for the first time this season, while Taylor will return for his second VFL match of the year.
Portarlington forward Tom Dewey, Grovedale defender Jeremy Larcombe and Ryan Butler have been named on the Cats’ extended interchange bench, but are rated a good chance to play by the club.
Casey has won five of its past seven matches and sits in fifth position on the VFL ladder on percentage.
Tudor said the Scorpions would benefit from a healthy influx of St Kilda players, as the Saints look to capture the formula capable of taking them towards reaching their potential this season.
“Casey has always played well at home, we’ve had some good battles with them over the years and we expect it to be a pretty good game again,” he said.
“They’re a very tall side, they’ve got a lot of good draft picks, lots of young talent.
“We’ll have our work cut out with their talls, they’ve also got some quicks as well and they’ll have Charlie Gardiner running around too.”
Tudor conceded there was little more Brent Prismall, who has been one of the Cats’ most consistent players this season, could do to improve his ratings in the VFL this season.
“With Prismall, he hasn’t had his opportunity (at AFL level) with any midfielders being injured, but he needs to be playing well at the right time, so if a midfielder does go down, he’s right go,” he said.
“But that’s like all the VFL players, they’re not going to be picked in the AFL if they’re not playing well in the VFL.
“(The fringe players) need to (be consistent), or they won’t be playing AFL, simple as that, they need to be playing good football all the time.”
Tudor said the week’s break was a blessing for his young Cats, who were showing some rusty signs in second halves of their last two encounters.
“It’s been good. On Monday the boys were in terrorising the coaches, they had freshened right up having not played on the weekend,” he said.
“So they’ve been terrorising us all week with extra work, so they’re pretty keen to get back out there again.”
Tudor said it was pleasing to see Shannon Byrnes, Max Rooke and Tom Lonergan all make an immediate impression in Geelong’s win over Carlton in the AFL on Saturday night.
“It’s good, the guys that have gone up from the VFL are then performed well in the AFL, so that’s really pleasing,” he said.
“But also Jeremy Laidler, Adam Donohue and Chris Kangars last week, they’re playing key position in the backline and they’ve had a lot of pressure on them and they’re starting to really understand what we need them to do.
“It’s a great development time, - especially for the younger players - in the last couple of weeks.”
The match starts at 2pm.
Meanwhile, in injury news, Tudor said emerging key position prospect Scott Simpson could return for next week’s clash with Bendigo after four weeks out with knee surgery.
Captain James Byrne, who underwent surgery to repair a fractured thumb three weeks ago, is on track to return in a fortnight’s time to play the Northern Bullants at Skilled Stadium.
“James is probably two weeks away, I reckon,” Tudor said.
“Everything (in his recovery) has been really good, his surgery went well and he’s also recovering from a medial strain, which he played with all year.
“(The break) has been really good to give him a good freshen up to get his knee and thumb right.”
