Tyson Stengle, a major component in the Geelong Cats forward line, has been ruled out of Saturday’s match against Richmond. He was distracted by a gravely ill family member. The club has since given assurance of his absence despite including him in the 23-man squad on Thursday night. After practice on Friday, head coach Chris Scott was made available to the media. He noted that Stengle is still interstate and reiterated the point that the situation is very personal.
Chris Scott stated, “At least in the very short term, Tyson Stengle is not going to play. He has got a family issue that he is dealing with.” Scott did not elaborate on the pressing family issue. READ MORE ⟶ That said, he admitted that it was enough to make Stengle leave the Storm.
With Stengle now absent, it creates an opportunity for George Stevens 3. He’s a huge chance to make his AFL debut in the prominent forward’s stead. The coaching staff was very high on Stevens being able to step in for a big game with that kind of magnitude.
Scott also mentioned, “(Stengle) is still interstate so at this stage we know he won’t play so when that happens we intend to communicate it.” This announcement further highlights the club’s dedication to being transparent and clear with fans about a player’s availability.
This Saturday, Chris Scott will celebrate an important anniversary. In a special milestone, he’ll coach his 350th home-and-away game for the Cats in their clash against Richmond. Even with this accomplishment, the attention is still very much on the team and adjusting to the changes that they must make without Stengle.
