Defender Tom Stewart has revealed that he is confident of being fit for round one after battling ongoing groin issues during pre-season.
The 26-year-old said on Thursday he would resume full training soon, having lifted his running program.
"I was just a little bit sore after the season. I wasn't fully sure of the extent of it, and then I got married and went on our honeymoon, so I wasn't quite getting the healthy physio treatment that I should have been," Stewart said.
"It wasn't quite feeling right but I'm getting back into training. I have been running for about a month now so I'm not far away.
The dual All-Australian hasn’t ruled out making it back for either of Geelong’s Marsh Community Series matches against Gold Coast and Essendon.
"[I'm] just focusing on round one – that's the important stuff. But if I'm healthy and ready to go for the Marsh [Community] Series, I'll definitely want to get some game time in."
Stewart has been joined by skipper Joel Selwood (hamstring), Mitch Duncan (hip) and Jake Kolodjashnij (hip) away from the main group in recent weeks.
The reliable defender has played a remarkable 68 games from 73 since his debut at the Cats in 2017 and is seen by many at Geelong as a potential future captain.
He was joined by several teammates and Cats' AFLW skipper Mel Hickey at The Food Purveyor in South Geelong on Thursday to work through donations to support communities torn apart by the national bushfire crisis.
