GWS have several selection quandaries to resolve for Friday night’s AFL semi-final, regardless of how Toby Greene fares at the tribunal.
The Giants have dug deep to reach week two of the finals, winning four games on the trot, but once again are expected to lose key personnel.
Youngsters Tom Green (wrist) and Isaac Cumming (ankle) were injured in Saturday’s epic elimination final, as was hamstrung veteran Sam Reid.
The trio would be missed but Greene’s void would be particularly immense, should he be banned for making contact with umpire Matt Stevic.
Compounding the selection headache is the fact Brent Daniels (hamstring) and Xavier O’Halloran (calf) are not expected to return.
GWS coach Leon Cameron may be tempted to rejig his forward line by adding a bigger body, looking to stretch Geelong’s defence that is minus leading light Tom Stewart.
But it won’t be key forward Jeremy Finlayson, who remains in Queensland with his newborn daughter.
A like-for-like replacement for Greene would be impossible but Daniels is a zippy small forward, capable of playing in the midfield and creating pressure, and has proven himself in finals.
Daniels is yet to resume full training, making it hard to envisage Cameron rolling the dice on the young gun.
Tanner Bruhn, who entered the fray in Launceston as a substitute for Cumming, could be promoted to the starting side amid some expected enforced changes.
Out-of-contract forward Jake Riccardi and Irishman Callum Brown both played forward during the Giants’ round-21 win over the Cats, although the latter is also on the mend from his own hamstring injury.
Small forward Bobby Hill, who hasn’t played since round 17 but linked up with the squad in Melbourne earlier this month after a fortnight in quarantine, is another obvious option as Cameron prepares to reshuffle his magnets.
Former captain Phil Davis, having been overlooked since recovering from the concussion he suffered in round 20, will likely come into calculations as GWS mull plans for twin towers Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron.
GWS key defender Sam Taylor was best on ground in the round-21 upset and will get the job on Hawkins again, while this week marks Cameron’s first match against his former side.
Kieren Briggs looms as the most likely ruckman to be recalled if the club decides 35-year-old Shane Mumford should not back up after a taxing game, six-day break and long trip to Perth.
AAP
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