GEELONG coach Dan Lowther doesn’t want Georgie Prespakis to change her physical ways despite copping a two-week suspension for a dangerous tackle in last week’s record win over St Kilda.
Prespakis challenged the Match Review Panel’s finding at the tribunal but failed to have her charge for an incident with Saint Erin McKinnon downgraded.
Lowther said the combative Prespakis, who leads the AFL Coaches Association’s AFLW Champion Player award, might need to adjust her technique.
“We just need to encourage her to get better at her tackle method because she does tackle with such ferocity and vigour,” he said.
“She just needs to be careful that we’re doing it the right way.
“We’ll keep supporting her and making sure that when she gets back in a weeks’e of weeks time, she doesn’t lose that aggression or that willingness to tackle because she’s our No.1 pressure player at the moment.
“It’s built off the back of her tackle pressure, (so) if she takes any backwards steps in that space, it will hurt her performance.”
Lowther was “surprised” at the length of the ban, which equates to 20 per cent of the home-and-away season.
“It’s a big penalty, but that’s just the nature of the competition,” he said.
“Ten games, two weeks, if you compare it to the men’s, that’s (the equivalent of) four or five games out for a tackle that, in real time, didn’t look to have too much intent to harm.
“But, (a) concussion was off the end of it.”
Prespakis will miss crucial meetings with the Western Bulldogs and Essendon that could determine Geelong’s finals fate.
The Cats sit sixth with a 3-2 win-loss record, while the Doggies are a position higher and a game clear but holding an inferior percentage ahead of Saturday’s clash in Ballarat.
“We’re disappointed for her, and she’s gutted,” Lowther said.
“But, to her credit, she’s already back in the gym, working closely with our s and c (strength and conditioning) staff to be even better when she gets back in two weeks, which, for a 19-year-old, is outstanding.”
The suspension of Prespakis will force Geelong into one change.
However, the return of Renee Garing for her first match since giving birth to her first child in May won’t be this week.
“She’s ticked all the right boxes; she’s now in full contact in drills,” Lowther said.
“She grabbed me the other day and was almost asking (me) to put a date (on) when she could play.
“Unfortunately, with no VFLW or second-tier competition, it’s solely based on what we can see our players doing in match sim at training or contact at training.
“Knowing Renee, she’s not going to die wondering about putting herself in harm’s way in terms of contact.
“Mentally, she’s ready to go, but we’ve got to make sure we’re not setting her up to fail in regards to the way she understands our system and where she fits into that.”
Twitter: @krockfootball
