GWS coach Alan McConnell hopes home comforts and his AFLW team's most 'normal' week since the start of this year will help them get the better of Gold Coast.
The Giants have been the league's nomads since establishing a bare-bones temporary base in Albury some six weeks ago, doing their part to ensure Sydney's growing COVID-19 cases did not delay the start of the season.
McConnell's squad shifted to Adelaide in mid-January then, having started their season in Perth as Western Australia's capital went into lockdown, were forced to isolate last week.
Having lost to Adelaide in round two, GWS's stint in self-isolation is now over and they return to action by taking on fellow win-less side Gold Coast at Sydney's Blacktown Oval on Saturday.
McConnell is reluctant to use the team's extreme logistical challenges as an excuse as he plots a first victory of the campaign.
But the veteran coach, who was the first person hired by the expansion club back in 2009, admits the absence of routine and a repeatedly rejigged training program has been a hurdle.
"It's a bit like the olden days with the boys, when we first started the guys' program. It was in the hallways of the Rooty Hill RSL," McConnell said.
"When you're on the road and training at someone else's venue, you can't turn up early and do touch.
"It's not conducive to a high-performance mindset. High performance requires repetition, repetition, repetition - and we haven't been able to get that until this week.
"But our girls don't need excuses ... I don't see much point going over history, we've now had a pretty normal week in familiar surrounds."
Local product Georgia Garnett will debut as one of four changes for Saturday's match.
Annalyse Lister, Tait Mackrill and Taylah Davies have also been recalled, with Tarni Evans (suspended), Erin Todd, Jodie Hicks and Aimee Schmidt making way.
"Saturday is obviously an important game for both teams to get a win. Both teams will feel like they weren't at their best last week," McConnell said.
