STAR Geelong forward Chloe Scheer is racing the clock to be available for her side's preliminary final on Saturday against Brisbane.
After fracturing her collarbone last week against Essendon in the Cats' elimination final win, Scheer watched Sunday's win over Melbourne from the sidelines, wearing a sling.
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"We'll hold some hope for her," Geelong head coach Dan Lowther said post-game on Sunday.
"She looks a bit proppy to be fair, with her arm in a sling, but we'll give her every chance to play and find a way to get through a couple of sessions later in the week and then we can make a judgement call.
"I dare say, she's probably unlikely, but we can hold some hope."
In the absence of Scheer, the Cats found goals through six different players, including a career-best two from star midfielder Amy McDonald.
Lowther also admits there were some nervous moments late in the game as he watched from the bench as Melbourne threatened to snatch the win.
"I'd like to have thought that at three-quarter time that we had some momentum and enough on the scoreboard to maybe get through the way we were playing, but that last 15 minutes, if I had more hair to lose, I probably would have lost it," Lowther said.
Melbourne kicked five last-quarter goals to make the 30-point three-quarter time margin just five points at the final siren.
Nina Morrison, who had starred for the Cats, was caught on the bench in the last moments when the game was in the balance, but Lowther was determined to back in his young midfielders to get the job done.
"There was a moment there where they kicked one late and we thought we could try and get our strongest midfield group on for the next (centre bounce). Nina was getting some work on her calf, so it was like 'let's back the players on the ground', our younger brigade to come through and show their worth," Lowther said.
Meanwhile for Melbourne coach Mick Stinear, it was a disappointing way to finish the season.
"Gutted, yeah gutted," Stinear said.
"There's a hell of a lot of hard work that the club puts in, that the players put in, the staff, to give yourself an opportunity to compete and win finals, and then to walk away today being bundled out of the finals, we're bitterly disappointed."
With the loss, Melbourne became the second side to go out in straight sets, after Richmond last season, and recorded its first run of three consecutive losses in its 76-game history.
Stinear admitted that there were "mixed emotions" after the game, proud that his side was able to surge back to threaten in the last quarter after being down by five goals, but also frustrating that such form wasn't on display for longer.
Melbourne will now head into the off-season, preparing for the upcoming trade and sign period, and draft, while Geelong will prepare to face Brisbane in a do-or-die preliminary final on Saturday night with a place in the Grand Final on the line.
