Geelong will rest Trent West for another week as they continue to give AFL experience to their younger ruckmen.

As the Cats eagerly await the return of Brad Ottens, ruckmen Mark Blake and newcomer Shane Mumford will take on Brisbane's Jamie Charman and Matthew Leuenberger this Saturday at Skilled Stadium.

Ottens is set to return the week after the May 10 Hall Of Fame tribute match, with the premiership ruckman forced to sit out the start of the season with a foot injury.

Although Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands dominated last Friday night's game, Cats coach Mark Thompson is rapt with how Blake, West and Mumford have developed in Ottens' absence.

Thompson said Geelong would probably give West another game in the VFL after the first-year ruckman played senior football through the pre-season and the opening five weeks of the regular season.

"It's not far away now, it's been a test to play without him (Ottens), but we've come through it and players have had to adjust a bit," Thompson said.

"Blakey's been fantastic and so has West, we were even pleased with Mumford last week.

"All round, out of misfortune, we've been given the opportunity to look at other players."

While stressing it was only his opinion, Thompson said it was "more than likely" Ottens would go straight into the senior side when he returns.

The Cats had to come back from 39 points behind to beat Fremantle last Friday, a week after Sydney had shut down the Cats for two quarters at Skilled Stadium.

Fremantle midfielders Josh Carr and Ryan Crowley also worked hard on shutting down Geelong stars Gary Ablett and Jimmy Bartel.

Thompson sees all this as invaluable early-season experience for his outstanding team as they defend their premiership.

"Fremantle as a team played really well, they were really up for the game and they had to be, because they'd only won the one match," Thompson said.

"We knew they were going to come out against us and they were fantastic, it was good to have that come at us.

"We have to keep reminding ourselves we are playing the AFL and we're playing against clubs who are going to want to beat us.

"We have to experience that sort of pressure, that's why we were happy with the sort of game it was."

Geelong are unbeaten heading into Saturday's home game against improving Brisbane and Thompson is pleased with what his team are going through.

"They're good games to play in and you have to experience it," he said.

"Even the (coach's) box last weekend, the last two weekends, it's working and we've been forced to work together, work through issues and we're doing it pretty well.

"The players are copping the same on the ground, they are being tested and it's a great thing."

While acknowledging the Cats were not consistently starting games well so far this year, Thompson pointed out the season had a long way to go and his side is 6-0.

"We're certainly not playing as well in the first quarter as last year ... but it is only round six, it's very early and we've already got six wins on the board," he said.

"We really can't be pressing our players too much about too many things at the moment because they're winning games still."

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