Stanley back, Paddy falls short

Geelong ruck Rhys Stanley will make his first appearance since Round 5 against Melbourne on Thursday night. (Sports Media Image/Marcel Berens)

RHYS Stanley will make his first AFL appearance since suffering a fractured eye socket in Round 5 when Geelong hosts Melbourne at GMHBA Stadium on Thursday night.

The ruckman is the only inclusion for the Cats, replacing captain Patrick Dangerfield, who fell just short of proving his fitness after copping a broken rib and collapsed lung in the loss to Port Adelaide.

“I fully expected him to declare himself fit, which he did, and he was just overruled on that one,” coach Chris Scott, who will guide Geelong for a 300th time against Demons, said.

“Not by as wide a margin as I expected.

“He thinks he could play. As is often the case with those guys, you’ve got to save them from themselves.

“(The medicos) say if the game was Sunday, Monday, then he’d probably be OK to play, so that’s a good sign for the following week.”

Young midfielder Tanner Bruhn is right to go despite being subbed out of the defeat by the Power with an AC joint issue.

Jack Bowes, who replaced Bruhn in the third quarter, is among the four emergencies vying for the sub’s vest with Mitch Knevitt, Ollie Dempsey and Irish rookie Oisin Mullin.

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