GEELONG coach Chris Scott has declared star recruit Bailey Smith a "lock" to return for the Cats' blockbuster against Brisbane.
Smith, who starred in Geelong's round-one belting of Fremantle, was a late withdrawal for last week's clash with St Kilda due to a calf complaint.
But the former Western Bulldogs ace will fly up to Brisbane to prepare for Saturday night's match, the first game between the rivals since the Lions shaded the Cats in an epic preliminary final last year.
Scott also expects Tom Stewart to play despite the star defender being subbed off with a knee injury in a shock loss against the Saints.
"As it stands at the moment, we expect them to play," Scott told reporters on Thursday about Smith and Stewart.
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Nat Edwards, Josh Gabelich and Riley Beveridge preview the biggest games and the key storylines ahead of Round 9
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Rising stars, Bailey’s free agency call, is Giants’ season still alive?
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'How many have taken a pay cut to play in the AFL?': Bulldog's amazing AFL journey
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'Not bad for a swap of picks in the 50s and 60s': Swan's surprise bag in breakout game
Nat Edwards, Josh Gabelich and Riley Beveridge praise Malcolm Rosas Jnr after his electric seven-goal performance and dissect the Swans’ impressive recent record
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Suns' superb Darwin record, have Saints' tall timbers found their groove?
The panel discusses Gold Coast's impressive record in Darwin and how Rowan Marshall and Tom De Koning seem to have found their groove
"I think we saw enough of Bailey (at training) to know he's a lock unless something happens, and (Stewart) is very likely, but didn't do as much work as Bailey.
"(Stewart's) eager to play, but he's a realist too.
"This is unscientific, and I probably shouldn't say it, but my experience with him is his powers of recuperation are amazing.
"So it didn't surprise me to see him sort of bounce back pretty quickly."
