TWO TOMS were restricted to handball drills, and Matthew Egan was an obvious no-show, but the majority of the Geelong squad was back in full force as the Cats returned to pre-season training on Thursday.
Skipper Tom Harley (knee) and Tom Hawkins (foot) joined David Wojcinski on the sidelines of the two-hour session before heading back into Skilled Stadium as the Cats got back to work.
Harley, who had post-season knee surgery, and Hawkins, still recovering from a foot injury that saw him in a moonboot for a month at the end of the season, will both be eased back into their summer regimes.
“That’s the beauty about what we do now, we’ve got so many good people around this footy club and you try to manage people individually,” coach Mark Thompson said as the Cats trained on a cricket field just outside their usual home ground.
“There’s a whole group of boys who won’t be on the track because we’re working towards getting them right.”
Nearby, Cam Mooney and Brownlow Medallist Jimmy Bartel rode bikes set up on the boundary.
However most of the big names were present for day one of pre-season, while a few new faces were also on hand.
Former Brisbane Lion and new assistant coach Nigel Lappin, who has been at the club for a fortnight, mingled with fellow coaches Ken Hinkley, Brendan McCartney and Brenton Sanderson.
Rookie Ranga Ediriwickrama also trained with the whole group for the first time as a Geelong player, while newly-appointed VFL coach Dale Amos made a brief appearance.
Seven young Cats have been back training for a month but for the big boys Thursday signalled a return to work, a chance to start shedding some post-season lemonades and, importantly for many involved on grand final day, the chance to begin the healing process.
“Yeah, I think they’re ready to train,” Thompson said.
“I think it’s been about seven weeks, that’s probably enough to have off.
“They’ve all enjoyed their holiday and they’ve got over all their soreness and aches and pains from last year and they’re probably ready to train.”
There were no Dane Swan-like tattoos on display – although the chilly November day saw most players dressed more like it was mid-winter than late Spring – and most players looked in good nick.
Harley, who seemed to be moving freely enough and didn’t have any bandaging around his knees, appears set to lead the Cats for the third straight season.
At least five clubs will have new captains next year and the Geelong coach doesn’t believe there’ll be any surprises at Skilled Stadium.
“I think he will [be captain],” Thompson said.
