Injury blow: Achilles surgery for veteran Cat

Dual best-and-fairest winner Cam Guthrie has had minor surgery on his troublesome Achilles in a move the club hopes will fast-track his recovery.

The forgotten midfielder has played just 10 games in the past two seasons since being equal best and fairest in the Cats’ premiership year in 2022 and will be unavailable for round zero.

The operation was described as a clean-up after Guthrie again experienced soreness in his Achilles as he tried to ramp up his preparation.

The decision to have minor surgery was made in the hope he could return early in the season and his preparation is only expected to be interrupted in the short term.

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Geelong reported before their pre-season match against Hawthorn that a timeline for Guthrie’s return to play was yet to be determined, but he would not appear in the practice matches.

He suffered a toe injury early in the 2023 campaign and then played just four matches in the first half of last season before being sidelined with an Achilles injury.

He made a late bid to play in the finals series, appearing for the Cats’ VFL team in finals before Geelong were knocked out in the preliminary final.

The Cats are in good health as they prepare to play Essendon in their final practice match next Tuesday before opening the season against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on March 6.

Shaun Mannagh is aiming to make himself available for selection in the opening round after battling a foot stress fracture during the pre-season while young ruckman Toby Conway is progressing well after a back injury interrupted his pre-season.

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