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THEY say actions speak louder than words.

Yesterday, Steven King was the equivalent of a man making an impassioned speech to say he's not done yet.

The former Geelong captain did everything he was sent back to the VFL to do.

Coach Mark Thompson wanted him to just compete, without fear that any part of his body would break down again.

When he went to full forward in the first quarter, King pulled in two towering overhead marks in the goalsquare.

In the second, he drifted down back to fill any gaps in the Bendigo Bombers' forward line and put his body on the line.

At the start of the third quarter, he'd contest the centre bounce and then sprint straight to the forward line.

His inspired tackle on Simon Rosa late in the term said a lot.

 In between all his work around the ground, he and developing ruckman Trent West controlled the middle.

King finished with four goals in the Cats' 32-point win at Skilled Stadium.

Last week, football manager Neil Balme said the Cats just wanted King to find some form and confidence, no matter how long it took.

Now comes decision time for Thompson and his match committee.

Does King's performance yesterday warrant a return to the senior side? Has he done enough already?

King was dominant in the VFL in his first game back from a calf strain. His next two in the seniors were less than impressive, and he was duly dumped.

They will need to decide this week whether he has lifted his confidence enough to be able to replicate it in the AFL.

Max Rooke looks ready to finally make his first senior appearance for the season.

His bigger, stronger body stood out in the midfield yesterday as he used his size to outclass and outmuscle the Bombers' centremen.

Rooke threw his body at every contest, including a great desperate lunge in the dying seconds of the third term. He was clearly a class above, and is just a final tick from the medicos away from a senior return.

In yesterday's 20.16 (136) to 16.8 (104) win, Jay Cheep's goal late in the third quarter shouldn't go without a mention.

His shot from the boundary hit the outside of his right boot sweetly, and sailed through for the goal-of-the-day, all while being pushed off balance by his opponent.