Geelong veteran Mitch Duncan has rushed home to be with his heavily pregnant wife, leaving Adelaide just hours before the Cats’ Friday night AFL blockbuster with the Crows.
Duncan’s omission hurts the Cats, who will also be without Tom Atkins, another late withdrawal announced just before the bounce.
Geelong players had already begun their warm-up when it was announced Duncan would miss the clash to be with his wife.
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Brandan Parfitt has been brought into the 22, while Mitch Knevitt has also come in for his 11th game but will start as the sub.
Demi and Mitch Duncan already have three kids.
“I don’t know what it is about this pregnancy but I’ve never been so confident in my decision making during a pregnancy — if that even makes sense,” Demi Duncan said early last month.
“The way I dress with my belly is a new level of confidence (that hubby is still getting used to me having my bump on show).
“My worries around ‘how am I going to do this?’ aren’t worrying me or keeping me up at night… I’m feeling super confident and content that it will all work out. Yeah they’ll be hard days but I know those days are outweighed by the good.”
More to come …