Having experimented with the make-up of his ruck division throughout the season, Geelong coach Chris Scott on Tuesday endorsed Mark Blicavs as a player who makes the Cats stronger against the best opposition.
While his former athletics contemporaries take on the Commonwealth's best in Glasgow, Blicavs will return to the Geelong team to meet North Melbourne on Saturday night after a strong indication from his coach that, however the Cats' rucks set up in September, the former steeplechaser demands a place in the best 22.
''Mark Blicavs has been important for us all year,'' Scott said. ''At times we've chosen to play three ruckmen with him probably being the third, the more mobile type. Other times we've only gone with two, and he's been part of that duo as well.
''I think that's an indication that we rate him and we think he's important. We've managed him carefully throughout the last couple of years, and the plan is to have him up and going because he contributes to our team when we're playing the best. That's a pretty good indication that he'll play for us.''
Blicavs has followed a 22-game debut season with a further 16 games this year, and meets the Kangaroos fresh from the bye and a weekend off when the Cats travelled to Greater Western Sydney in round 18. His mobility, endurance and ability to pinch-hit in the ruck are seen as assets whether the Cats go with one or both of Hamish McIntosh (15 games in 2014) or Dawson Simpson, who has played 12 but been in and out of the side since round 11.
Allen Christensen is also set to play just his fifth game of a campaign delayed by a back injury and interrupted a fortnight ago by illness.
''It was unfortunate timing really that he got sick for our last game then we had the bye straight afterwards,'' Scott said. ''We'd like to get more footy into him – he's an important part of what we're doing. All indications are he'll be OK.''
Scott said he was content to see Sydney and Hawthorn dominating premiership discussion – rightly so as they had been the best performed teams all year – but he remained confident Geelong's best football would be ''pretty good'' when it most needs to be.
He described twin brother Brad's Kangaroos as a team whose best football had been exceptional, and ''one of the few teams that have been able to beat the best, even on their own turf''. He noted their liking for Etihad Stadium, and forecast a tough game.
''This is the pointy end of the season, and I don't think anyone will be relaxed going into the game. I think both teams will be up and ready for a ripper of a contest.''
