GEELONG'S willingness to shuffle the magnets could prove a major asset at the pointy end of the season, according to AFLW All-Australian Kate McCarthy.

But it is the versatility of Max Holmes that has particularly impressed McCarthy, with the two-time reigning best and fairest winner's ability to seamlessly shift between the midfield and half-back adding another layer to Chris Scott's tactical flexibility.

Holmes is averaging a career-high 29.4 disposals in 2026 as he continues his ascent into the game's elite, giving Scott plenty of options as the Cats charge towards another September campaign.

"He's having a huge season for them, but I liked the role change that we've seen him play at times - he goes between midfield (and) playing time off the half-back line as well," McCarthy told AFL.com.au's The Round so Far.

"I just love his ability to get the handball receives, and we see him do this from the midfield as well ... because of his running capability and his capacity to work from end to end on the field.

"But I love his ball use, I love the season that he's putting together. But also I love the versatility that Chris Scott is using throughout the midfield.

"We've become accustomed to seeing Scott use players in different roles and to not be content with how his club is going and to look at 'What is the best combination we can get?'

"I love that they use Max Holmes off half-back; maybe with Tom Stewart out they want some ball use in that area of the ground with his ability to break lines."

Holmes isn't the only Cat providing Scott with positional flexibility, with Geelong having a different look at centre bounce in Friday night's win over Geelong.

Geelong's centre bounce attendances

McCarthy believes the familiarity with multiple roles could become a significant advantage in high-pressure finals, giving the Cats' ability to adapt on the fly when games are on the line.

"You can just see they throw around the numbers, they throw around the combos for the centre bounce attendances," McCarthy said.

"(Scott's) ability to be able to use players in different roles ... if there's a time in the game when it's on the line and they need to move a magnet, they've done it before and they know where they need to play.

"They've just got so many players that are so familiar with playing multiple roles at the Cattery and I love that they continue to do it."