Geelong are planning for the prospect of Daniel Menzel playing his first AFL game for new club Sydney against his former Cats teammates on Saturday.
After recovering from groin surgery which sidelined him for the first couple of months of the season, Menzel has played the past two matches for the Swans reserves, including last weekend where he kicked five goals.
Were the 27-year-old Menzel to force his way into the Swans line-up alongside another former Cat in Jackson Thurlow, it would add an additional subplot to round 11 match at GMHBA Stadium.
On the other side of the equation, ex-Swans speedster Gary Rohan has made a flying start to his new footballing life as a Cat, booting 20 goals in 10 matches.
Menzel underwent four knee reconstructions during his luckless nine-year stint at Geelong when he was limited to 73 matches and 136 goals across nine seasons.
"Menzel would be an interesting conversation at their match committee level," Cats coach Chris Scott told reporters on Wednesday.
"Do they play (Tom) McCartin and Menzel and (Sam) Reid and (Lance) Franklin?
"That's a lot of marking forwards, but maybe (Tom) Papley and (Will) Hayward and (Robbie) Fox balance them out quite nicely.
"As I said, they're not bereft of talent."
Reid was the star turn in last Friday's narrow loss to Collingwood with a six-goal haul.
But as ever, much of the pre-match attention is on Franklin, whose primary opponent will either be Mark Blicavs or veteran Harry Taylor.
"I can understand the interest in one of the great power forwards of all time against one of the emerging key defenders of the competition; that would be a good match-up," said Scott.
"If they choose to play him in a spot where it doesn't suit us to have Blicavs next to him then the match-up won't eventuate.
"But I'd expect that they'd be near each other for decent parts."
The Swans will need to make at least one change, with co-captain Josh Kennedy to miss at least two matches with a knee injury.
