Geelong will welcome back premiership players Tom Hawkins and Shannon Byrnes for Friday night’s AFL pre-season match on the Gold Coast against the Suns.

The Cats lost Josh Hunt through suspension, while stars such as Matthew Scarlett, Corey Enright, Paul Chapman and Steve Johnson remain out of the lineup in the buildup to the regular season.

Gold Coast named another strong squad that features captain Gary Ablett, Jared Brennan and Nathan Bock.

But Charlie Dixon is a late withdrawal with an ankle injury and Jackson Allen will take his place.