GWS will be without ruckman Kieran Briggs for top-four showdown in Brisbane

After losing a key man for an epic clash in Brisbane, tales of Olympic glory are pushing the GWS Giants to do something special.

GWS ruckman Kieren Briggs is set to miss the clash with the Lions. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

The GWS Giants have turned to tales of Olympic greatness for inspiration ahead of a top-four showdown with the red-hot Brisbane Lions that they’ll enter with a back-up ruckman playing his first game for the season.

Big man Kieran Briggs is battling some “shoulder stuff” according to Giants coach Adam Kingsley and is set to miss the Gabba clash against a Lions outfit that could take over as ladder leaders should they win a 10th straight game.

The Lions have only lost one since a 54-point thrashing at the hands of GWS in Canberra in round 8 and are raging premiership favourites.

Veteran Lachie Keeffe, 34, is set to come in and play his first game of the season as the ruck replacement having got some experience in the VFL, and Kingsley is hopeful he could have some “moments” against Lions big man Oscar McInerney.

“We’ve had a few injuries with our ruck stocks so it feels like Keeffe is the next man in and he’s more than capable,” Kingsley said.

“He (Keefe) played in the ruck last week at VFL level and did quite well, so he’s one of these guys that adapts pretty quickly.

Lachie Keeffe will come in for the GWS Giants. Picture: AAP Image/David Moir

“We’re pretty comfortable that he can mix it with a really good ruckman up there in McInerney.

“There’ll be times where Lachie has good moments. There’ll be times where McInerney has good moments.

“That’s the nature of good players going at it.”

Good players will be back for the Giants too, with Josh Kelly set to return from a calf injury, while Kingsley said it was “pretty obvious” he would be sending tagger Toby Bedford to two-time Brownlow medallists Lachie Neale to try to curb his influence in what the coach said was a “dress rehearsal” for the finals.

“I think we’ve got a bunch of dress rehearsals leading into finals that are essentially finals games,” he said with clashes against contenders Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs to close out the season.

“So I think when you look at it from that perspective, it feels like we’re playing a finals game each and every week, and so I think we’re well conditioned.”

The clash with the Lions will be Kingsley’s first at the Gabba as Giants coach and his team will take on the “significant challenge” the Lions present armed with stories of inspiration from Olympics past and present.

Celeste Mucci, the partner of GWS defender Jack Buckley, competes at the Paris Olympics. Picture: Martin Bernetti / AFP

While GWS defender Jack Buckley’s partner, Celeste Mucci, is competing in the athletics in Paris, Kingsley said the ability to focus on the achievements of others was also a good distraction at a tough part of the season.

“Well, we’ve used them, certainly some great stories, both this Olympics and former past Olympics,” he said.

“It’s talk about that mental fatigue that you can generate any sense of relief from that. I think you use those opportunities and certainly the Olympics is providing that at the moment.

“I love the Duncan Armstrong story of 1988, I think that was just a brilliant story, so we’ve spoken about that. We’ve admired him, and there’s been a few.”