TOM STEWART and Shaun Mannagh will return for Geelong as coach Chris Scott warns against overreaction to the Cats' inconsistent form.

He is also wary of Melbourne ahead of Friday night's clash at GMHBA Stadium, saying its best can be daunting.

Stewart was a late withdrawal from last week's loss to Brisbane with a knee injury and Mannagh will return from a foot injury for the first time this season.

"He'll play, unless something we're not expecting happens in the next 24 hours," Scott said of Stewart, one of Geelong's most important players and its backline general.

"He was very close (last week), which gave us supreme confidence that he'd be OK and nothing changed in his training earlier in the week ... to alter that thinking."

Scott said Mannagh had been out of the AFL team for a little longer than he would have liked.

Fellow forward Shannon Neale (ankle) will also play, but midfielder Mitch Knevitt is out because of a foot injury.

After demolishing Fremantle in round one, Geelong has suffered narrow losses to St Kilda and Brisbane.

"It's been pretty good, just good enough. We think we'll get better," Scott said of Geelong's start.

He added it was crucial to strike a balance between fixing problems and not overreacting.

"We're not going terribly. I mean, I could make the case that Melbourne aren't either, but that isn't going to get much support," Scott said.

The Demons are in early-season strife at 0-3, with thrashings from North Melbourne and Gold Coast.

"For all we know, Gold Coast could be the best team in the comp. You could make a strong case that's true. That puts their performance last week in perspective," Scott said.

He added Melbourne at its best is very hard to stop and its players are "daunting at times".

"It's just poor policy to be looking at a team, thinking they have some weaknesses that are just going to persist," he added.