Geelong are expecting in-form defender Jack Henry to "miss weeks" with a hamstring concern that cut his Friday night short.
Henry was prolific to start the eventual 39-point victory, continuing his strong run to start the season with five intercept possessions and two intercept marks in just 40 per cent time on ground.
His outing against the Demons was brought to an abrupt end in the second term, pulling up lame in a marking contest and holding his hamstring.
Henry hobbled from the field and was soon subbed out of the contest, with Mark O'Connor brought into the game in his place.
Coach Chris Scott revealed post-game that Henry was almost a late out with a foot/ankle concern he had been dealing with in the lead-up to Round 4, with the Cats deciding to keep the key defender in their side.
Scott said Henry is likely facing a stint on the sidelines as a result of the hamstring concern, a setback that will curb his strong impact to start the season.
"We actually had an issue with Jack Henry an hour before the game. It was sort of 50-50 as to whether he might play," the Cats coach said.
"We're now sort of ruing the decision, even though he started so well and (the concern) wasn't related to the hamstring he did.
"(He was dealing with an) ankle/foot (injury) before the game. He was really confident he could play.
"You could see 20 minutes into the game he was playing really well. His decision looked vindicated, and then the hamstring was out of the blue.
"Hard to determine the severity, but he'll miss weeks. It's not (a really bad setback) but it's just a little tweak where they're unsure if there's any issue."
The Cats were forced into a late change for the contest, with utility Mark Blicavs pulled from the side with gastroenteritis.
Geelong are expecting to have Blicavs available for next week's meeting with Adelaide at Gather Round.
Sidelined backman Jake Kolodjashnij could also be in the frame for Round 5 as he nears the end of his recovery from a groin injury.
