While Geelong may have been able to orchestrate a fourth-quarter blitz to claim victory against an up-and-coming Collingwood side, their largest area of concern has taken yet another hit.
Ruckman Jonathon Ceglar fractured his foot during Geelong's VFL game this past weekend and is expected to miss a substantial chunk of the season as he's set to undergo surgery.
This latest setback follows an arthroscopy Ceglar had on his right knee as he made the move down to Kardinia Park from Waverley during the last off-season.
Geelong made the move for the former Hawk in the hopes that he would be able to address their greatest weakness, that being the ruck. While the Cats have been able to win in spite of their makeshift tandems of Rhys Stanley and Esava Ratugolea, it was believed that by acquiring a true ruckman that their experienced array of midfielders would be better positioned to influence contests against the league's top sides.
A return to play is believed to be in the realm of two-to-three months as the Cats assess Ceglar's recovery post-surgery, with football boss Simon Lloyd indicating that there's no need to rush the big man back into the side.
"It’s unfortunate for Jon because he’d started to build up a good body of work," Lloyd said, via K Rock.
"Although disappointing, he’ll have the surgery, and then it’ll be a matter of building back up over a period of time.
"We still see Jon as very important to us throughout this season, and he’ll figure at some stage.
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Disposals
"Whilst it’s frustrating, he’ll just get on with the task."
Ratugolea is set to be a test for Friday's clash with Brisbane, while midfielder Sam Menegola has faced further setbacks in his return after suffering concussions during his side's reserves bout.
Geelong's ruck group will be buoyed by the absence of Brisbane tall Oscar McInerney, who will miss this week's clash through suspension.
Geelong is set to take on the Lions at GMHBA in Round 4 in what will prove to be a crucial contest amongst another fellow contender.