PORT Adelaide should explore switching marking forward Mitch Georgiades into a defensive role to aid its undersized backline, according to the club's premiership great Kane Cornes.
Collingwood took 14 marks inside 50 and claimed 15 contested marks in its 71-point thrashing of the Power on Saturday, taking full advantage of a backline lacking in size after Trent McKenzie was forced out with an ankle injury.
It left the 193cm Aliir Aliir and the 188cm Tom Jonas as the Power's biggest key defenders, leading Cornes to suggest on AFL.com.au's The Round So Far on Saturday night that Georgiades should be trialled in defence.
Georgiades has kicked a goal in each game to begin his season, but has struggled to make an impact playing as the side's third key forward in attack alongside Charlie Dixon and Todd Marshall.
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"This is as poor as I've seen Port Adelaide defend one-on-one for a long time," Cornes said on AFL.com.au's The Round So Far.
"I think Georgiades could be a Jeremy Howe type. He's got the athletic attributes and the one area where Port Adelaide was always underdone was their height. They're not tall enough.
"Mitch Georgiades' confidence is really low. I'd definitely be exploring a move back, before you drop him and bring Jeremy Finlayson in."
The Power recruited shrewdly last October but efforts to lure an experienced backman, notably Esava Ratugolea from Geelong, were unsuccessful, although they were able to sign young defenders Tom McCallum and Kyle Marshall through the national draft.
