VICE-captain Patrick Dangerfield and emerging midfielder Brandan Parfitt are recovering strongly after undergoing off-season surgery.

Dangerfield injured his right hand against Melbourne in Round 23 and played through pain for the remainder of the season, before going under the knife in late September.

GM of Football Simon Lloyd told the Age the star Cat is on the mend.

“He has been progressing well in the four weeks post operation and has been completing regular cross-training sessions at the club in the off-season,” Lloyd said.

Hard-nosed midfielder Brandan Parfitt is also getting stuck in to his rehabilitation program, after suffering a high-grade hamstring tear early in Geelong’s semi-final win over the Giants.

“He is making a good post-operative recovery, completing early strength and functioning work,” Lloyd said.

Parfitt continued to showcase his contested abilities in 2021, recording his highest tackle tally to lead the Cats in the statistic and finish tenth in this year’s Carji Greeves medal.

Both Parfitt and Dangerfield will officially return to the club in early December with the remainder of the club’s senior players.

“Our five-plus year players officially return on December 6, which will mean that he will have sufficient time for a strong pre-season,” Lloyd says.