Geelong's Harry Taylor experiment will run well into the AFL season as the Cats continue their four-year search for a second tall forward.
Since James Podsiadly left at the end of 2013, Geelong have lacked a consistent foil for Tom Hawkins.
So an abundance of key defensive options and Taylor's undoubted ability means they are trying to develop the two-time All-Australian in more of a swing man role.
Taylor did not star in attack during their pre-season games, but coach Chris Scott says it is a long-term project.
"We're not going to be entrapped into playing him forward at all costs," Scott told AAP.
"But we feel what we have at the moment are two very real options and that's better than really putting your eggs in one basket and then having to take the risk late in the piece, to play him forward when he hasn't trained (there) that much.
"Performances so far, look, he hasn't set the world on fire.
"But the nature of playing forward is (you) can only be a few big contested marks and goals away from having a really good game.
"We're more confident based on what we've seen at training, than some others might have been based on the games."
Whatever the risks Geelong face in playing Taylor forward, Scott adds they are well worth it.
He adds that it would be a much bigger risk, given the potential disruption to their attack, if they throw Taylor forward sporadically or without a lot of training around it.
"There is a temptation at this time of year to see round one as the finishing line - we have to judge whether it's worked or not by then," he said.
"In actual fact, we'll continue to make that judgment call right through the season.
"But I also see that logic that if it doesn't work, we will have opened ourselves up to the accusation that we've turned a very, very, very high-class defender into an average forward.
"We'll keep monitoring that situation - we're confident that won't be the case."
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