Close was one of five Cats to jump out of stints in the seconds into the firsts to take on St Kilda two weeks ago, with the five holding their spots in a win over Melbourne last week.
He was joined by Gryan Miers, James Worpel, Jhye Clark and Jay Polkinghorne, with all five making an impact in their two games in the senior side.
The Cats beat the Saints and Dees, rebounding from a rare flat spot in which they lost five of six games.
Close focused on his touch at the lower level, as did Miers, who spend hours working with development coach Nigel Lappin.
Clark bedded down a spot at half-back in the reserves and won his way back into the senior side, as Geelong makes the most of its dominant VFL side.
The VFL Cats, coached by Mark Corrigan, sit 14 points clear on top of the table with a percentage of 180.5 in a dominant season.
“They (VFL) are a great side to play in … both teams are playing the same system and the blokes who come in, come in and play their role and slot straight in,” Close told this masthead.
Close had never played a VFL game before round 3 this year, having joined the Cats during Covid and been a senior regular ever since.
The half-forward had played 127 games and missed just two – due to suspension and injury – since early 2021 but a combination of a difficult pre-season fitness-wise and a lack of touches meant he was sent to the VFL side twice this year.
“It was a bit of a change, obviously playing consistently in the AFL side for a while but I guess when you have such a strong list and blokes are pushing for spots and you have to earn your spot, I understood that was where it was at and I had to earn my spot,” he said.
“I went back to the VFL and it is much nice being on the MCG than a rainy night in Sandringham. You have to do what you have to do.”
Close missed a large chunk of pre-season due to injury and had more than 10 disposals only once in his first 10 games of the year.
So he was told he had to go and find the footy.
In his two games back he has averaged 16.5 disposals, six score involvements and 2.5 score assists, clearly lifting his output on his return.
“It was just finding more of the footy. I had a few quiet games earlier in the year and some of my impact, I didn’t make the most of my opportunities with a ground ball or in the contest,” he said.
“I worked on that, trying to make the most of it and get a few more touches to try and help the side and then a bit of that use going forward, trying to stay clean.”
Originally published as AFL Round 21: News and updates from Collingwood’s blockbuster clash with Geelong