Geelong will rest veteran forward Tom Hawkins for next week's trip to Darwin

Hawkins, who levelled former captain Joel Selwood's Cats games record of 355 matches on Friday night, will become the club's standalone all-time leader in his next appearance in the hoops.

That milestone will now likely come at Kardinia Park instead of TIO Stadium, with Hawkins to be rested next week before Geelong return home for a Round 11 game against GWS at GMHBA Stadium.

Cats coach Chris Scott confirmed the selection call following the club's narrow loss to Port Adelaide.

"We won't (play Hawkins in Round 10). That's been our plan," Scott said on Friday night.

"Likely we'll tell you the week we're doing these things, but we'll give you no more notice than that.

"I don't (think he needs a rest). I think he's going pretty well, physically.

"I thought he had some really nice moments as the game went on. We didn't get the ball forward much early on."

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 16: Tyson Stengle of celebrates a goal with team mate Tom Hawkins of the Cats during the AFL First Preliminary match between the Geelong Cats and the Brisbane Lions at Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 16, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/AFL Photos/Getty Images)

Hawkins snapped his four-game goalless spell against the Power, ending the first time he had gone so long without a goal in his career.

His upcoming absence will open the door for emerging tall Shannon Neale, who has continued to press his case for selection as a young ruck-forward option.

The Cats are currently without second-string ruckman Toby Conway due to injury, while veteran Rhys Stanley was subbed out of the loss to Port Adelaide in the second term for tactical reasons.

Geelong overcame the defeat unscathed but will monitor a calf knock that hampered speedster Max Holmes on multiple occasions during the second half.

Holmes came from the field in the third term and would eventually return to the game, only to require further medical assistance before the end of the game.

"I don't think we're calling it an injury. He got a kick to the shin," Scott said of concerns surrounding Holmes.

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"[The medical team] expect that to recover pretty quickly. He was really influential late in the game, which gives us some confidence that he was going well."

The Cats have a six-day turnaround for their trip to the Northern Territory, where they'll face the Gold Coast Suns on Thursday night.