Geelong midfielder Cameron Guthrie looks set to play his first AFL game in over a year, while the Saints are preparing to blood a club debutant.
Guthrie hasn’t played since Round 6, 2023, but has been cleared to feature at the top level for the first time in 371 days after overcoming a quad strain suffered in pre-season.
“Cam hasn’t missed a beat with his rehab the whole way through,” Cats assistant GM of football Brett Johnson said.
“These last couple of weeks have been more about giving him that specific football conditioning at training in readiness to play, so it’s pleasing to have Cam available to play football this weekend.”
Guthrie was thought to be staring at an eight-week layoff when going down in the opening seconds of Geelong’s first pre-season game against Carlton after a toe injury kept him out of the vast majority of 2023.
The 31-year-old has been a much missed presence on-field for the Cats in 2024, despite their strong start to the season, given his experience and versatility.
Geelong has described Guthrie as “available for selection” without locking him in for a return to the senior side to face the Blues on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, Paddy Dow is also in the frame to play his first game in new colours. The former Blue joined St Kilda in last year’s trade period but has been corrupted by a knee injury this year.
He got through a scratch match last Saturday and his name has fallen off St Kilda’s injury list.
“Paddy came back looking powerful out in the midfield, dominating the clearances… his body work around stoppage was good as well as his power and explosion inside 50,” VFL coach Jake Batchelor said about Dow.
The Saints were belted by Luke Beveridge’s Western Bulldogs last week and are likely to make changes ahead of a clash with Port Adelaide on Friday night.
Dow, 24, has only played 14 AFL games in the last 24 months after being taken with pick 3 in the 2017 National Draft.