Chris Scott is hopeful injured utility Mark Blicavs will return in the short term as he seeks an even faster bounce-back from Geelong in their clash with North Melbourne.
The Cats (4-3) were upset by Port Adelaide last round and lost Blicavs to a knee injury in the process, while captain Patrick Dangerfield was uncharacteristically quiet.
But last year's runners-up will start hot favourites against the Kangaroos at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday.
Geelong have won the past 14 meetings between the sides, including a 101-point belting in their most recent encounter.
"We're not at the stage where we're going to dig ourselves into a bigger hole by focusing on all the things that went wrong (against Port Adelaide) when we don't think that constitutes a pattern," Scott said.
"But we've got to be vigilant. I don't think anyone could or should interpret what I'm saying as, 'Oh, it was just one of those nights and we've got to move on'.
"We're much more diligent in our review than that, but overall we're still optimistic around what's possible for us."
Blicavs has lateral ligament damage in his left knee and is walking with the joint in a brace, with no firm timeline yet on his return.
"What's clear is it looks unlikely that it's a long-term thing," Scott said.
"Then they're kind of open-minded and thinking about what's possible over the next couple of weeks. I think that gives you a bit of an idea.
"But I try not to get too excited about it. You hear it might be much better than we think, and then you set yourself up for disappointment."
Dangerfield has managed just three games this season after an interrupted preparation, and had a sub-par performance against Port Adelaide with just four disposals.
Scott is optimistic the 36-year-old can repeat the feats of previous years, when he has overcome a slow starts to have a big impact at the business end of campaigns.
"I don't think it's a secret to say that he's not at his best at the moment, but we are prepared to work with him to get him to that point," Scott said.
Geelong's winning streak against North Melbourne is the longest active run of any one club against another, dating back more than a decade.
Their 14 victories in that time have come at an average margin of 48.6 points.
But the Kangaroos appear to have taken a leap forward this season, entering round eight sitting in sixth place with a 4-3 record.
"It would stand to reason that they will be getting incrementally better with the stack of young talent that they've got in there," Scott said.
"It's almost getting to the stage where you wouldn't refer to them as young talent.
"They're almost through that 'academy' kind of phase and they have some genuine high-level players who are starting to have a real impact, and probably have been for a while."
Blicavs' absence is offset by the return of Sam De Koning and Jake Kolodjashnij for the Cats, while North are without young gun George Wardlaw (illness).
He has been replaced by Tom Blamires, while Charlie Comben returns in place of fellow defender Toby Pink.
