‘Small Magpies forwards can still swoop on Cats: Scott’ Collingwood coach Craig Scott has warned Geelong that his team’s small forwards can still cause headaches for the Cats, despite the absence of injured star Travis Cloke. The Magpies will be without Cloke for Friday night’s qualifying final at the MCG after he suffered a recurrence of his troublesome plantar fascia injury. But Scott said the Magpies had plenty of other small forwards who were capable of hurting the Cats, including Ben Reid, Alex Fasolo and Jamie Elliott. “We’ve got a number of small forwards who can play and have played well this year,” Scott said. “Ben Reid has kicked over 40 goals this year, Alex Fasolo has kicked 30 goals, Jamie Elliott has kicked 20 goals. “They’re all capable of playing well and kicking goals. “We’ve got a number of players who can play in a range of positions. “That’s one of the strengths of our team.” The Magpies have won their past three matches against the Cats, including a 61-point thrashing in round 13. But Scott said the Cats would be a different proposition in a final. “They’re a very good team,” Scott said. “They’ve been one of the most consistent teams in the competition for a long time. “They’ve got a lot of experience and they know how to win finals. “We’re going to have to play our best game to beat them.”Collingwood’s injury woes may make them even more dangerous against Geelong, according to Cats coach Chris Scott.Collingwood’s injury woes may make them even more dangerous against Geelong, according to Cats coach Chris Scott. The reigning premiers are without key forwards Brody Mihocek and Mason Cox, while Dan McStay is returning from an ACL tear. Jamie Elliott is expected to return from a vascular issue, but swingman Jeremy Howe is unlikely to play due to hamstring tightness. Scott believes Collingwood’s depleted forward line will make them harder to predict, which could benefit the Cats’ defense. “Sometimes when the opposition forward line is harder to predict, it certainly makes planning more difficult, more uncertain,” Scott said. “But one would assume they’re gonna go a little bit smaller than normal… It looks to us like Jamie Elliott will come back after not playing for a long time, he’s obviously a really dynamic player.” Scott warned his team not to underestimate the Magpies’ pressure, despite their recent loss to Essendon. “It’s naive to think that in today’s footy you just roll out your style and be good enough to win,” Scott said. “You’ve always got to be thinking how you can improve your game and how you’ve got to adjust to the opposition. “Collingwood are a good example of that because they will and have always prioritised their pressure around the ball and I think they’ll be thinking ‘we’ve got to really up our pressure’.” Geelong will have a plan to deal with Collingwood star Nick Daicos, who has been tagged at times this season. Jed Bews could make his first appearance of the year, while Mitch Knevitt is also in contention after missing last week with illness.Despite suffering heavy losses in the forward line, North Melbourne coach Brad Scott says the Magpies’ small forwards can still cause headaches for Geelong this weekend. Aiden Bonar and Jaidyn Stephenson have both been ruled out of the clash with the Cats, joining Ben Cunnington, Cameron Zurhaar and Robbie Tarrant on the sidelines. With so many tall forwards unavailable, Scott says the Magpies will need to look to their smaller players to provide a spark up front. “We’ve got some really exciting small forwards who are capable of kicking goals,” Scott said. “We’ve seen what they can do in the past, so we’re confident they can step up and play a role for us this week.” Scott said he was particularly impressed with the form of Tarryn Thomas, who has kicked 10 goals in the past three weeks. “Tarryn is a really talented player,” Scott said. “He’s got great speed and agility, and he’s a natural goal kicker. “We’re really looking forward to seeing what he can do against Geelong.” The Magpies will also need to find a way to stop the Cats’ dangerous forward line, which is led by Tom Hawkins and Gary Ablett. Scott said he was confident his team could match it with the Cats, despite their injury concerns. “We’ve got a good record against Geelong,” Scott said. “We know they’re a quality side, but we’re confident we can beat them if we play to our strengths.” The Magpies and Cats will face off at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.