Former Geelong skipper Mark Bairstow has heavily criticized Chris Scott's coaching philosophy after the Cats' qualifying final loss to Richmond last Friday night.
Bairstow said the current game-day tactics enforced by Scott were hurting Geelong's style of play and it would need to be urgently attended to if they are to avoid a straight sets finals exit this Friday night.
"I watch them time and again especially blokes like Steve Motlop who burst out of defence and he is suddenly in three minds what to do as there is no one in front of him," Bairstow said.
"You might get away with that against weaker sides during the season but not in finals.ย Finals is the time of unrelenting pressure that will bring the press down."
Bairstow, who captained Geelong in the early 1990's and played 146 games with the club over a seven-year career, said the Cats had to go back to "one-on-one football across the ground" if they were to advance in September football.
"What they've got to do first and foremost is get rid of the press and concentrate totally on one-on-one football. This is finals football and it showed so many holes in the team when they reverted to this silly press."
Bairstow was at odds with some of Geelong's coaching manoeuvres, particularly in regards to Tom Hawkins.
"Tom Hawkins is paid to be their best forward and deservedly [so]. I will notย hear criticism of him but the coaching staff have got him playing basically on a back flank. Can you tell me what good that is?
"Hawkins should be played inside the 50-metre line. And against the Swans, [Heath] Grundy will have to go down and man up with him and Hawkins will beat him every day of the week.
"Why Harry Taylor was left at centre half-forward for that long, goodness knows.
"And why when [Cameron] Guthrie went down did they suddenly decide to drop the tag on Dusty Martin?ย He's only the best player in the competition.
"Geelong can beat them [the Swans] but you've got to have the whole team instructed to buy into a game plan that complements Geelong's best players.
Geelong are looking to avoid becoming just the seventh side since 2000 to experience a straight sets exit.
