Cats shock: Ablett, Varcoe to miss

AN ALREADY weakened Geelong side has been further diminished on Friday afternoon with the shock withdrawal of superstar midfielder Gary Ablett and emerging forward Travis Varcoe.

The Cats had a torrid game last weekend against the undefeated St Kilda, and betting on this weekend's match against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba was suspended by some agencies when the teams were released on Thursday afternoon.

The Cats had four outs, with defenders Matthew Scarlett and Darren Milburn and midfielders James Kelly and Cameron Ling all to miss with injury.

The late withdrawals of Brownlow Medal favourite Ablett with a calf injury and Varcoe with a shoulder problem are likely to see the Lions' odds wound in significantly when betting resumes.

They have been replaced in the team by Kane Tenace and Nathan Djerrkura, with Taylor Hunt and Dan McKenna added to the revised emergency list.

Harry Taylor, who was knocked out in the final minutes of last week's clash when Michael Gardiner took the crashing pack mark that allowed him to kick the winning goal, has travelled with the team and is expected to play.

The Cats' injury list now sits at 18.

So long is the list that Geelong's VFL side has not only had to call up all its top-up players, but also a 19-year-old from the Murray Bushrangers TAC Cup team.