Geelong has named former Collingwood big Erica Fowler among three changes for Sunday’s clash with the Crows in Adelaide.
The Cats have also included midfielder Bella Smith and second-gamer Chantal Mason for the clash at Unley Oval.
They replace injured big Kate Darby and omitted pair Zali Friswell and Caitlin Thorne.
Fowler spent seven seasons with the Magpies, making 46 senior appearances, before being delisted.
The 33-year-old was plying her trade with VFLW club Sandringham when Geelong came knocking when searching for a replacement player.
“Erica Fowler will come in for her first game as well to support our ruck and our height,” coach Dan Lowther said.
“Chantel Mason will come in this week and play as a forward.
“That one game, against Brisbane, was with a stress fracture, which no one knew about, so she hobbled her way through – the poor thing – but got through it.
“But she’s done a great job over the pre-season to get herself in a position to play.”
Smith, who joined Geelong ahead of last season from Brisbane, added five AFLW matches to the one she played with the Lions.
Lowther says Friswell, who had ten disposals in the Round 1 loss to North Melbourne, has areas of her game to work on.
“It’s a tricky position to play as an outside runner on the wing and have involvements in the game,” he said.
“So you have to make the most of those chances when they do come your way; something that she’s worked really hard on over a period of time.
“She’s been a great player for us and will continue to be a great player for us, but there’s a few things she needs to work out around contests and just about using her attributes to the fullest.
“We had a great conversation around it. It’s never easy to tell a player who’s been a consistent member of the team for a long period that they need to go back and work on a few things.
Geelong will face an Adelaide team, which welcomes back star Chelsea Randall, smarting from its surprise loss to St Kilda in Round 1.
“The Crows had 50 inside 50s and didn’t score; that’s a threat that we need to make sure we’re prepared for,” Lowther said.
“Their contest work and going forward was fine.
“If they can get those pieces of the puzzles together, they’re going to be really hard to play against again.
“We had a game last year against them late in the year – I think it was the last game of the season – where they got that right in the second half, and we just couldn’t match it for the entirety, so that’s our challenge.
“But the Saints did a really good job of controlling how the game was moved, and how it was played.”
X: @krockfootball
GEELONG
INS: Erica Fowler, Chantal Mason, Bella Smith
OUTS: Kate Darby (calf), Zale Friswell, Caitlin Thorne
FB: Georgie Rankin(10), Claudia Gunjaca(26)
HB: Rachel Kearns(22), Meghan McDonald(11), Rebecca Webster(21)
C: Kate Kenny(12), Georgie Prespakis(41), Bryde O’Rourke(23)
HF: Mikayla Bowen(1), Jacqueline Parry(5), Kate Surman(7)
FF: Aishling Moloney(45), Julia Crockett-Grills(6)
FOL: Piper Dunlop(38), Amy McDonald(3), Nina Morrison(9)
IC: Melissa Bragg(44), Chantal Mason(24), Emma Kilpatrick(27), Bella K. Smith(2), Erica Fowler(17)
EMG: Caitlin Thorne(25), Gabbi Featherston(32), Alexis Gregor(30)
