Geelong forward Cameron Mooney admits he's unsure whether his body will let him play out his final AFL season.

Saturday's 186-point demolition of Melbourne was Mooney's first senior game since round 10 and he kicked five goals in the rout.

The two-time premiership player has confirmed he will retire at the end of the year.

Asked on Sunday if his body felt like a ticking time bomb in terms of being able to perform in the AFL, 31-year-old Mooney replied: "absolutely".

"I feel like if I push and push and push, the body could just completely go on me, but if I want to play finals football I have to push and push and push and let myself and the coaching staff know I can do that," he told Channel Seven's Game Day.

"If I don't, then so be it and that's what Scotty (coach Chris Scott) is saying ... it is a week-to-week thing.

"If one week I don't pull up well, then that's where I'm at."

Mooney revealed that Scott and assistant coach Brenton Sanderson had put the heat on him after half time.

"I probably started to feel a little bit tight and sore and I was probably playing a little bit that way," he said.

"I got a bit of a message from 'Sando' and Scotty to say 'well, if you want to play finals footy, we need to see how your body can handle it, so you have to push yourself'.

"I did that and I feel like I finished the game pretty well."

Scott was measured about Mooney's return, saying it was a significant step, but only the first step.

There will be plenty of competition for senior berths over the next few weeks as the in-form Cats prepare for the finals.

Mooney hopes the Cats will decide on a forward set up with three tall players - a combination that would give him the best chance of a regular senior game for the rest of the season.

"As far as the forwards go, we don't know how it's going to work - I hope we do three talls, I believe that's the right way to go," he said.

"Can we do it? That's what we have to find out in the next few weeks."

Geelong next week host Gold Coast when Suns captain Gary Ablett will play at Skilled Stadium for the first time since he left the Cats at the end of last year.

Mooney said the Geelong players had discussed how Ablett would be received.

"(We're) wondering how the supporters are going to welcome him - hopefully they don't carry on too much, he has been a fantastic servant (for) our football club," he said.

Mooney added that Ablett had surprised his old teammates with how well he had handled the Gold Coast captaincy.

"His leadership is the big one ... we didn't think he was going to be a great leader," Mooney said.

"His captaincy has just been unbelievable."

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