GEELONG speedster Jordan Clark's finals hopes have been dashed, with the young Cat sent for surgery on his troublesome elbow.

The first-year draftee went under the knife late last week to repair the injury that tore "two-thirds of the muscle off the bone" in a training mishap ahead of round 20.

While Clark had initially delayed surgery in an attempt to return for finals, he re-injured his elbow early in his VFL comeback match on August 31.

Strapped up to train with the main group last Tuesday and listed as a test in the club's injury report, the Cats decided to pull the pin on his season last week.

It comes as the Cats prepare to make at least one change for Friday night's preliminary final against Richmond, should they failed to overturn Tom Hawkins' one-match ban for striking.

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Forward Gary Rohan will bid to prove his fitness at training on Tuesday after missing the semi-final win against West Coast with further knee troubles.

Sidelined in rounds 21 and 22, Rohan re-injured the same knee in the qualifying final loss to Collingwood and was reduced to straight-line running at training last week.

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Wingman Mitch Duncan, who remains in a brace for his medial knee setback, must rely on the Cats booking a Grand Final berth to have any chance of playing again in 2019.