EMERGING midfielder Josh Caddy looms as the most likely replacement for suspended veteran Paul Chapman for Geelong's preliminary final against Hawthorn at the MCG on Friday night.
But Jordan Murdoch's heroics when the Cats defeated the Hawks by 10 points in round 15, and his brilliant VFL form in recent weeks, mean he might yet be given the nod.
Murdoch booted three goals when Geelong last played Hawthorn, all of them in the last quarter, as Chris Scott's team made it 11 straight victories over its arch-rival.
"His speed and running power and penetration with his kicking is certainly a factor, and something that we're attracted to and have been over the last couple of weeks," Scott said at Simonds Stadium on Tuesday morning.
"He's going to be pressing very hard."
Nevertheless, the Cats seem more likely to go with Caddy, as long as he can prove his fitness.
The 20-year-old, who is in his first season at Geelong after transferring from Gold Coast, missed last weekend's victory over Port Adelaide due to an ankle injury.
But he has impressed his coaches on the training track in the past couple of days.
"We're thinking he'll be available," Scott said. "He's moved well, so that's a good sign."
According to Scott, Caddy is not a certainty to be recalled "only because of the quality of the candidates.
"Those that watched our VFL game against Williamstown at Port Melbourne on the weekend would see that we do have some options," he said.
"Although Chappy's a loss, we're pretty comfortable about bringing some players that can help our team."
In the wake of Chapman accepting the Match Review Panel's offer of a one-match suspension for a high bump on Port Adelaide's Robbie Gray, Scott is hoping that the rules governing such contact will be reviewed.
"I think there'll be a time for the AFL as an industry to discuss the merits of these sorts of decisions and the process by which they're arrived at," he said.
"But that's not this week. We're focussing on the preliminary final.
"At the end of the season, I think everyone will get together and have the opportunity to have their say.
"I'm more than happy to comment at length at that time.
"Right at the moment, it's unfortunate and disappointing for us and for Chappy and our supporters that he's not going to play this week.
"But it does give an opportunity for Josh Caddy to come back from an ankle or Billie Smedts to come in and play some footy … (or) Jordan Murdoch or Shane Kersten.
"And our VFL team has qualified for a Grand Final as well, so it's times like these that we consider ourselves so fortunate to be participating when it really counts."
