Daisy Pearce has outlined radical plans for Brisbane and Geelong to overcome last weeks respective losses and get back in the winner’s circle this weekend.
Geelong was out-pressured and out-classed by Port Adelaide on Friday night to lose by 43 points, while Brisbane was never in the game after the first break, losing to Melbourne by 33 points at the Adelaide Oval.
With Lions tall Daniel McStay ruled out of this week’s Semi Final against the Bulldogs with a concussion, Pearce believes Chris Fagan should cut his losses and change up the game plan.
“No Hipwood and now no McStay, they go up against a contender on the weekend and go down by five goals without getting near Melbourne,” Pearce told SEN’s Whateley.
“Do you pick your third best tall to continue to play the same structure? I almost think it’s time for the Lions to throw a completely different look because of their match up against their Dogs.”
“(It’s also important) just for team spirit and energy. Their best wasn’t good enough on the weekend against another contender, so where do you install the belief from this week?
“I think there’s value in going with something different… Someone like a Rhys Mathieson to go down forward and play on Bailey Dale or Caleb Daniel.”
While she acknowledges it is not a move that can be pulled off during the home and away season, Pearce says the pressure of finals might just be the right time.
“These kinds of moves don’t sustain your whole season, but this has just got to get them through one week," she said.
“It can’t come from a place of conceding; it comes from a place of power.
“It’s risky because it’s a final but I think it’s a good week to do it."
Meanwhile, Geelong have lost their last two games and Pearce has identified the same weakness in both.
“I was worried about their speed in defence last week, having seen it unravel a bit against the Dees in Round 23 and then it was a theme from the get go against Port Adelaide,” she said.
“At some point we’ve got to stop banging on about Tom Stewart, (but) they’re missing not just his defence and speed at ground level to defend but the offence they build off his rebound as well.
“They tried Mitch Duncan down there on the weekend and in his first up performance off the back of nine weeks off, he found a lot of the footy and he’s the right type of guy because he’s such a good kick.”
Despite Duncan’s solid outing on Friday night, Pearce believes it’s not the way to go against the Giants this weekend.
She says two Geelong youngsters could provide the key to Geelong taking the game on.
“I’d be tempted to go different again for the Cats and throw a bit of speed and power and dare down there,” she said.
“Can Jordan Clark defend? Can Quinton Narkle defend? I’d be putting players like that down there or at least tabling this at match committee as an option, and giving them a license to go.
“If you nominate a player like that, the rest of the team can work off it. If (they) know every time Narkle or Clark gets it that they’re going to go, you can work off that. Whilst it’s left field, you can change on the run.
“Cop the turnovers here and there, if the Giants are going to get them it will be by speed and harassment, so counter it.
“Don’t just get beaten by what was an issue against Melbourne and an issue against Port Adelaide.”
Geelong will play the Giants on Friday night in Perth, with Brisbane to host the Dogs on Saturday night.