Tyson Stengle has reconnected with the Geelong Cats in what is being described as a "great sign" for the premiership forward's hopes of resurrecting his AFL career. The 27-year-old had been the subject of speculation after reports suggested he had only maintained "sporadic contact" with the club this season.
Channel 7's Caroline Wilson and Tom Morris last week reported that the Cats had limited communication with Stengle. However, Geelong's recent trip to South Australia to face Port Adelaide provided an opportunity for Stengle to be around the team, sparking hopes of an imminent return to training.
"He was in the rooms, which is a great sign because there had been a lot of talk that he'd maybe lost connection with the Geelong footy club," 7NEWS chief football reporter Mitch Cleary said. "He's been back in SA for a large chunk of the last six months with a young daughter. He's working through a complex personal situation. It is hoped that he's back to the club in a training sense in the next week or two."
Cleary added that there is no timeline on when Stengle will return to play, as that rests with the AFL given the requirements he must meet after his recent challenges. "But a good sign that Tyson Stengle was back in the rooms and around the club," he said.
Stengle was seen in a lengthy conversation with Cats coach Chris Scott, who had previously stated that it was "not my role to be across" his small forward's situation. Scott addressed the media speculation, saying, "I'd hate to sound defensive of it. What I've learnt over the years is to acknowledge the different roles that people have in these sort of situations. So I don't have a problem with the media speculating, but they are speculating with less information that I have, and I have less information than other people at the club have, who probably have less information than the AFL have."
Scott emphasized the private nature of Stengle's situation, noting that even if he had good information, he would likely keep it confidential. "This is one where I genuinely don't know," he said.
Stengle, who was named to the All Australian team in Geelong's 2022 premiership season, initially took leave from the club during the off-season. He returned to training once the season started, and Scott had previously flagged the potential for Stengle to play in the VFL. When pressed on easing fan concerns, Scott bristled, saying, "That's the way the AFL want it to be, so we have to submit to their processes. I'm not even sure that I'm empowered to speak about that. That's how grey these areas are, so it's best that when I'm unsure, I say less."
Scott added that his thoughts on the AFL's involvement are "irrelevant," but he praised Stengle's performances on the training track. "I've loved what I've seen from him at training, and when we see him out on the training track, we feel like, 'OK, we'd like to get this guy into our team as soon as it's practical,'" Scott said.
When asked specifically about Stengle's recent training, Scott declined to provide details. "I'm tempted to say it's not your business, and speaking on his behalf, that's probably the position I take. We don't walk you through the training programs of our players. Everyone's on an individual program, and he's no different," he said.
Stengle has kicked 175 goals from 109 career games, the majority of which have come at the Cats. He is under contract until 2029 on a deal worth up to $750,000 per year.
