GEELONG football manager Neil Balme says the Cats remain keen to secure the services of Melbourne defender Jared Rivers and North Melbourne ruckman Hamish McIntosh.

Both Rivers and McIntosh have paid visits to Simonds Stadium in recent weeks.

Rivers is an unrestricted free agent, which means the Demons cannot prevent him joining Geelong if that's his wish.

"We actually quite like the way he plays," Balme said on Gillette AFL Trade Radio on Tuesday.

The Cats are keen on Rivers because they need to bolster their backline in the wake of Matthew Scarlett's retirement.

"Obviously that's going to be a bit of a gap for us," Balme added.

"I'm sure we can probably replace him from within if we have to, but it makes sense to look for some sort of replacement for him.

"So we'll still keep looking, I reckon."

Rivers, who turns 28 in two weeks, has played 150 games since making his debut for Melbourne in 2003.

He won the NAB AFL Rising Star Award in 2004 and finished second in the Demons' best and fairest last year.

McIntosh, 28, is contracted with North Melbourne until the end of 2013, so any departure from Aegis Park will have to happen via a trade.

"We have spoken to him, but ... it depends what he wants to do and what they want to do," Balme said.

"Then, can we actually make something happen? But we're certainly interested in it, without being totally over the top."

Geelong has four ruckmen - Trent West, Nathan Vardy, Orren Stephenson and Dawson Simpson - on its list.

It is likely that one of those big men will be moved on if the Cats are able to secure McIntosh.

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