Geelong coach Chris Scott is in no doubt some of his players are worried about their future at the AFL club, but he hopes they're not using that alone as motivation to up their game.
With nine players aged older than 30, the Cats face some tough decisions at season's end.
Scott, in his fifth year at the helm, said list management was one of his biggest challenges as a coach.
"It's almost impossible to get right in my experience," said Scott after Saturday's 27-point win over Greater Western Sydney.
"I heard (captain) Joel Selwood say during the week he wants them all to play on. So do I.
"I'd still love to have Matty Scarlett out there and Gary Ablett, but it's just not the reality.
"We love them ... but we love the club just that little bit more and we've got to make sure that we do the right thing.
"I'm positive that we'll look back and say `we made a mistake here or a mistake there'.
"But it's important that our supporters understand that it's all done on the basis that we're trying to do the best thing by the club."
Asked whether he thought some of his star veterans were playing with an extra edge given their futures at the club were in doubt, Scott said he hoped not.
"My view is that you should be giving your absolute best every single week," he said.
"We have players towards the end of their career that we're at various stages of discussions with. Is it playing on some of their minds? Absolutely.
"It's not just the older guys - I don't think we should isolate it to them.
"We had three guys come back through VFL today, who've virtually played no footy the last four years; they're a bit nervous about their career as well.
"It's the life of the AFL footballer unfortunately."
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