Geelong expect the Western Bulldogs to throw Brian Lake forward as both AFL clubs field revamped attacks in Saturday's Skilled Stadium clash.

With Barry Hall sidelined and his future clouded by injury, the Bulldogs named regular defender Tom Williams, who kicked two goals against Hawthorn last round, at centre half-forward.

But Geelong assistant coach Blake Caracella, responsible for the Cats' backline, said they were ready for struggling fullback Lake to also appear in attack.

"He's played forward for half a game in the past. It wouldn't surprise at all if he went forward and played the whole game forward this week," Caracella said.

Despite the Cats' nine-match unbeaten run to start the season, their attack is also unsettled.

Goal-less Cameron Mooney has been rested, as he battles a chronic knee injury, fellow tall forward Tom Hawkins has been dropped and Paul Chapman is out with a groin injury.

Those absences are likely to make James Podsiadly a heavily-marked man, as the Cats' only experienced tall forward left, other than when ruckman Brad Ottens has stints in attack.

But Caracella was unconcerned.

"The opposition wouldn't want to under-rate any of our players outside of Podsy," Caracella said.

"While a lot of the ball does go through Pods, Nathan Vardy's down there. He's played a couple of games, and he played really well last week and hopefully he can repeat that effort this week.

"(Daniel) Menzel's been playing down there, Steve Johnson kicked seven last week. They'd be fairly silly to throw all their eggs into the Podsy basket."

The team changes continue Geelong's pattern of heavy rotation.

Only four players - James Kelly, Jimmy Bartel, Joel Corey and Travis Varcoe - have played every game, the least of any club.

The Cats have also had four debutants, and second-year players - Menzel, Mitch Duncan and Taylor Hunt - have had significant roles.

Caracella said the state of flux was partly dueto injuries, but also an acknowledgement of an ageing list.

"Over the next one or two years, there's going to be a few senior players who are going to retire," he said.

"We need to make sure that young players have played a bit of senior football by then."

He said the management of players' workloads could step up a cog when they guaranteed a finals berth, which might be only three games away.

As well as sorting out their attack, the Cats want to start better, having lost five of nine first terms, including last round against Gold Coast.

Caracella said the round eight win over Collingwood was the only match Geelong believed they started well.

"It's something we definitely need to fix up," he said.

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