The prospect that premiership forward Paul Chapman will prove his fitness for Saturday's AFL grand final has prompted an unwanted selection dilemma for the Cats, according to skipper Tom Harley.
This time last year, young ruckman Mark Blake was controversially displaced by Steven King from the line-up that routed Port Adelaide for the club's first flag in 44 years.
Now the focus is on Chapman who hasn’t played since tweaking a hamstring in the club's qualifying final victory over St Kilda three weeks ago.
Harley said on Monday that Chapman is certain to be recalled if, as expected, he can demonstrate he's 100-percent fit.
Already, the bona fides of a host of Cats in the frame to make way including James Kelly, Travis Varcoe, Mathew Stokes, Tom Lonergan and David Wojcinski, have been canvassed ad nauseam on Melbourne talkback radio.
"Obviously 23 doesn’t go into 22," said Harley.
"It's a bit of a shame that it's going to be a talking point for the first couple of days, but that's just the way it is."
"As a club we'll be obviously supportive of everyone, not necessarily just the 22 guys that play on the weekend."
"It's a team game and a team decision."
Asked whether he would be available to counsel any member of the club's winning preliminary final line-up who happened to be dropped for the grand final, Harley said, "I would hope that I wouldn’t need to be asked to do something like that."
"We've got a culture at the footy club where we do share and care a lot and if it comes to fruition that someone is obviously going to have to miss out, I'm sure they'll feel super-supported by all the other guys."