Andrew Mackie joins On The Couch to talk about the Cats' early-season form.
Paul Chapman has missed the past two matches with a hamstring problem. Picture: Mike Dugdale Source: Geelong Advertiser
GEELONG is "extremely hopeful" Paul Chapman will be fit to take on Essendon on Friday night, but admits he is still on a limited training load.
Chapman has missed the past two weeks with a hamstring injury – he didn't play against the Dogs and was withdrawn from the squad a day before the Tigers game.
Cats coach Chris Scott said a decision on Chapman would be made later in the week.
"We think so, but we thought so last week as well," Scott said.
"He hasn't trained fully this week, we're leaving that a little bit later, so once he's done that we'll be in a better position to judge.
"But we're extremely hopeful."
The Barometer: Injury latest from every club
Daniel Menzel will today have the first of a two-part surgical procedure on his re-injured left knee.
The second procedure will happen in about three months' time using a patellar tendon graft.
The Cats will be ultra-conservative and Scott said the timeframe for a return would be somewhere between 12-15 months.
Scott said Nathan Vardy would not be called up to the AFL this week, despite his form putting him in the Cats' best 22.
Hamish McIntosh could return to VFL footy in a fortnight's time – the VFL Cats have the bye this weekend.
Scott also challenged statements by AFL umpires boss Jeff Gieschen that there is no crackdown on players pushing in marking contests this season.
The issue came to a head on the weekend when Adelaide's Scott Thompson was penalised for making minimal contact to Hawk David Hale at a crucial stage of the final quarter - a decision Gieschen has apologised for. But he defended other free kicks against players for marking interference and insisted the rule hasn't changed in 10 years.
Scott disagreed, saying the rule was being interpreted differently this season.
"I think the explanations are extremely confusing. To say that you can't block, bump, push or hold in a marking contest makes it very difficult to understand how you can make any contact at all," he said.
"My personal view is that if we've been saying you can't bump, block, push or hold in a marking contest, then two of the greatest footballers of all time in Tony Lockett and Jason Dunstall would've been ineffective.
"It's not a great development in our game."
A controversial free kick paid against Adelaide's Scott Thompson swung the momentum Hawthorn's way in the last quarter of their AAMI Stadium classic.
But Scott said he would not instruct his defenders to play differently.
"You've got to be really careful about the really obvious push, where you sort of push them over," he said.
"But the reality is that when two players are competing in a contest they're both pushing against each other, so if one's stronger than the other the push is going to become more obvious."
Read more at the Geelong Advertiser
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