GEELONG faces a ruck selection dilemma as it heads into Saturday's match against the No.1 ruckman in the game, Melbourne's Max Gawn.

Zac Smith is pushing for selection after 25 disposals and 48 hit-outs in a VFL practice match on Saturday.

Smith did not play in the first two AFL rounds after pulling up sore from the final JLT Community Series game when he was injured in the warm-up.

However Cats coach Chris Scott confirmed after Sunday's narrow win against North Melbourne that Smith would be considered.

"He's in the frame for sure," Scott said.

Smith's performance puts pressure on selectors to get the mix right after Rhys Stanley and Mark Blicavs were well beaten in the hit-outs (21-54) by emerging North Melbourne tall Braydon Preuss.

After two rounds, the Cats have the worst hit-out differential in the AFL, having lost the taps 63-18 to Fremantle's Aaron Sandilands in round one.

With the third-man up option banned, the Cats even resorted to not contesting boundary throw-ins inside 50 in the last quarter against North Melbourne, preferring to leave an extra number on the ground and putting pressure on the Kangaroos' first possession.

Mobile big man Stanley, who is available to play despite leaving the ground momentarily after copping a knock late in the game against North Melbourne, won seven clearances on Sunday but his disposal efficiency was low.

Blicavs put in a relatively strong performance and his transition running is strong. Significantly, the Cats were prepared last season to play all three talls.

The Cats won three of the four games in which they were forced to play just two talls in 2016 but also won 15 of the 20 other games they played with three in the team.

The quandary of what to do with multiple talls extends to the key position players, with Harry Taylor yet to settle into a rhythm in the forward 50.