Geelong coach Chris Scott admits he's not sure what his final side to take on St Kilda on Saturday looks like yet as uncertainty remains around his ruck set-up.
The Cats have named Rhys Stanley ahead of schedule to return from a knee injury, joining other ruckmen Jon Ceglar and Mark Blicavs in the side to face a Saints outfit looking to cling to eight spot on the AFL ladder.
Scott added midfielder Sam Menegola (knee) was likely to play despite being named in the emergencies, with running defender Zach Tuohy (COVID) also in the mix.
"We were put in a position where we had to pick a team and a squad that we suspect was subject to change, and that's probably the way it's playing out," he told reporters.
"It's reasonable to expect that the 22 that we picked last night will change somewhat between now and game time ... Stanley comes in and we're keen to see Ceglar get some more exposure at AFL level before the finals but we're just still a little undecided as to exactly how that's going to look.
"We're very open minded to the two of them playing in the same team, that's definitely on the table."
But while the Cats are tuning up for finals rather than trying to earn their place there, St Kilda (11-8) cannot afford a slip-up with Richmond (10-1-8) and the Western Bulldogs (10-9) breathing down their necks.
They've recalled defender Dougal Howard back for his 100th game as they look to back up a 12-point win against Hawthorn last weekend.
Saints coach Brett Ratten said earlier this week the Cats "can't win forever", a statement that bemused the Geelong boss.
But Scott didn't shy away from the challenge of taking on a team with its season effectively on the line.
"The rest of the season isn't forever ... winning over the next couple of months is easier than forever, so it's a pretty logical statement, trees don't grow to the sky," he said.
"Coming into finals the last thing we want to be doing is seeing those games as practice games, we want to be trying to simulate what we'll get in a final series as much as possible.
"There's no better way to do that than playing a team that's fighting for their for their football life."
