NAKIA Cockatoo's recent run of injuries will give him the experience an elite athlete needs to better read the cues his body gives him, says Geelong coach Chris Scott.

The 20-year-old was unable to play past quarter-time for the second time in the past five weeks last Thursday night after injuring his hamstring against West Coast.

Although the injury was minor, it left the Cats one man down for most of the game. Cockatoo played only 15 minutes against the Eagles, while in round 10 against the Western Bulldogs, he managed just 17 minutes.

Cockatoo will miss this Sunday's game against Fremantle, and Scott said he would need to be "absolutely, categorically right" next time to minimise the chances of suffering a hamstring strain early in a game for a third time. 

Scott said it was common in an elite environment for players to take time to understand their bodies.

He said Cockatoo was as professional as anyone, but was still learning how to read certain cues his body gave him.

"He is just a little bit raw in terms of understanding the feedback mechanisms his body provides," Scott said.

He said Cockatoo was an important young player and the club had not taken a risk playing him.

"I'm loath to say we'll be more careful next time, because I think we're always aiming to be as good as we possibly can," Scott said.

The Cats will welcome back Tom Hawkins (suspension) and Mark Blicavs (managed) against the Dockers, but have refused to rule out Scott Selwood, who injured a hamstring against the Eagles.

Rhys Stanley replaced Hawkins last week, but appears unlikely to hold his spot.

Scott said he and his coaching staff had a responsibility to remind the players to be conscious of not crossing the line with their on-field aggression, in the wake of Hawkins' suspension and Joel Selwood's report last week.

Hawkins was suspended for a jumper punch against Adelaide after the AFL vowed to crack down on the issue, while Selwood was fined after collecting West Coast's Sam Mitchell.

Scott said his message to the players was obvious enough.

"We want our players playing hard aggressive footy and sometimes that means you go close to the line, but if you overstep it you pay a very big penalty and you do run the risk of being penalised where some players in previous weeks haven't," Scott said.