Geelong have refused to take a punt on triple-premiership star Steve Johnson's foot injury for Friday night's knockout semi-final against North Melbourne.
The Cats didn't name their match-winning midfielder/forward on Thursday night in their 22-man side.
Johnson had 17 disposals and struggled after quarter-time in Geelong's AFL qualifying-final loss to Hawthorn last Friday after missing three matches with a foot complaint.
Ruckman Hamish McIntosh had knee surgery this week and is also out for the Cats, who have recalled Mitch Brown and Lincoln McCarthy.
McIntosh's absence heaps the pressure on part-time ruckmen Mark Blicavs and Josh Walker who are set to take on North's Todd Goldstein.
Geelong's football manager Neil Balme could not be contacted for comment on the club's injury concerns.
Small forward Allen Christensen remains on the sidelines with back soreness, having last played in round 22.
Walker has told the Cats' website he and Blicavs plan to make it a "hellish" night for Goldstein.
"We're up against a good, quality ruckman," 16-game veteran Walker said on Thursday.
"It has been us two before. We know each other's games pretty well.
"Myself and Mark Blicavs have done plenty of it.
"So it's nothing new to either of us and we'll take plenty of confidence from that.
"Mark and I might lose a little bit in size against him. But certainly our competitiveness, we'll jump into him and just try to make it a bit of a hellish night for him.
"Certainly around the ground we think we can use our aerobic capacity to really make life difficult for him."
North Melbourne regain five-time club champion Brent Harvey from suspension for Friday night's MCG clash. Ben Jacobs has been dropped.
Port Adelaide have named an unchanged side for Saturday's cut-throat semi-final against Fremantle in Perth, despite Matthew White's cracked jaw.
The Dockers have included Nick Suban for Hayden Ballantyne, who has a broken jaw. Fremantle's gun midfielder Michael Barlow has been selected after wearing a moon boot earlier this week to help him recover from a foot injury.
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