Geelong has named a 26-player squad to take on Brisbane in Thursday night’s practice match at Brighton Holmes Arena.

Gary Rohan steps into Geelong’s attack, teaming up with Ollie Henry and Tyson Stengle, who kicked seven goals between them against Hawthorn last week.

Sam Simpson has been named on the extended interchange for his first hitout this season, while Cooper Whyte will also get more time with the seniors after playing predominantly with the VFL-listed Cats in last week’s match simulation.

Jeremy Cameron and Isaac Smith will sit out the game and turn their focus to preparing for Round 1.

“Jeremy and Isaac haven’t missed a beat through pre-season and are in a good position,” Geelong General Manager of Football Simon Lloyd said.

“We have got what we need through a large number of training sessions and last week’s match simulation against Hawthorn.”

Mitch Duncan will also be absent as he continues to work his way back from a minor calf setback.

“Mitch had a minor calf setback several weeks ago. He has been running for some time and is progressing well with his load volumes,” Lloyd said.

“As per last season, we’ll take all the time we need to ensure Mitch is in best shape for the season. We won’t be pressured by a timeline and will focus on the bigger picture.”

Toby Conway’s rehabilitation is progressing, with the young ruck now full weight-bearing on his foot and focusing on continuing to build his strength.

Young forward Shannon Neale, who is returning from an ankle sprain, has started running and is integrating into the football training sessions, while Tom Hawkins is progressing well as he continues to build his football training loads.

First bounce for the practice match is at 7.10pm local time (8.10pm AEDT) on Thursday, with the game set to be broadcast on Foxtel and Kayo.

Practice Match Squad