JOEL SELWOOD is adamant he'll be fit for round one, despite suffering a hamstring injury in Geelong's NAB Challenge win over Melbourne in Alice Springs on Friday night.
The Cats' skipper pulled up sore during the first quarter and was immediately subbed out.
After the match, the club described the problem as "hamstring awareness".
Selwood had scans on Monday, which revealed only a minor strain in his right hamstring.
"It is very minor," he told Fox Footy on Monday night. "(The scan) showed up very little, so you wouldn't really even call it a grade one (tear), which is a great result."
Selwood was able to do some running on Sunday night and completed another running session on Monday.
"I was up to about 70 or 80 per cent," he said. "It actually feels really good."
The hamstring issue is Selwood's second injury in the space of two months.
In late January he had surgery after being unable to shake off pain in one of his feet.
"Especially at this time of the year, when you're trying to get your body match-hardened, and you get niggles like that that put you back a step, to get ready again is the hardest thing," he said.
But Selwood is adamant he'll be fit to face Adelaide in the Cats' season opener at Simonds Stadium on Thursday, March 20.
"I'll play round one," he said. "I've got to listen to my body right now and make sure that I am right.
"But I've got three weeks. As I said before, it's very minor. I'm pretty confident I'll be there."
Geelong has suffered a rash of injuries during the pre-season so far, with Allen Christensen, Nathan Vardy, Steven Motlop and George Burbury among those already ruled out of the clash with the Crows.
Vardy is the unluckiest of all. He ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a recent training session and won't play again this year.
"The kid got himself up to a stage where he was ready to go," Selwood said.
"The spot got opened up for him with Podsiadly leaving, and Nath unfortunately had one of those knees that means we can't get him back for the year."
