VICTORIOUS Geelong coach Chris Scott has revealed how close former Hawk Isaac Smith came to missing the clash against his old team on Easter Monday. 

Smith was among the Cats' best in the five-point victory over Hawthorn at the MCG, with the 32-year-old picking up 15 disposals and six marks in another polished performance for his new club.

10:45

Scott Post-Match

Watch Geelong's press conference after round three's match against Hawthorn

But the three-time premiership player, who crossed to the Cats during last year's trade period, was almost forced to miss the match due to illness.

"I don't normally divulge these things and I don't want anyone to feel sorry for him, but he only just made it to the line," Scott said.

"He was ill in the last couple of days and that added to the pressure a bit for him.

"He couldn't come to training yesterday ... so clearly he was affected, but I thought he was good for us and it was good for him to see the other side of the fence.

"He seemed like he handled it pretty well. He is a confident sort of guy and I thought our players really supported him.

"We brought him in for a reason and he has really delivered on that in spades to his point."

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 05: Isaac Smith of the Cats and Liam Shiels of the Hawks embrace after the 2021 AFL Round 03 match between the Geelong Cats and the Hawthorn Hawks at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on April 05, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos)

While Scott was more than happy to bank the four points, he said his team must find a way to move the ball quicker and score more heavily if it wants to maintain its position at the pointy end of the ladder.

"I think if you miss the paradigm shift, you can be left behind very, very quickly," Scott said.

"Let's use Sydney as an example, the game has changed and those teams (at the top) look sharp.

"We have got to find a way through and when we find our way through this little patch at the moment we have got to find a way to be a whole lot better to be able to compete with some of those teams."

Round 3 Showreel

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The absence of key players hasn't helped the Cats so far this campaign, with key forward Jeremy Cameron yet to feature and star midfielder Patrick Dangerfield serving a three-match suspension.

Two new injuries were added to the Cats' casualty list on Monday, with off-season recruit Shaun Higgins (hamstring) and fellow forward Francis Evans (syndesmosis) set for stints on the sidelines after being unable to play out the match.

"It's always a challenge when you lose a cluster of players from that part of the ground," Scott said.

"The team we were looking at five weeks ago is different to the one we put out last week and today, but the good teams find a way through."