GWS tagger Toby Bedford takes heart from recent history as his stuttering side seek to implement the tweaks that could lift them back into AFL finals contention.
The Giants (4-5) are chasing consecutive wins for the first time this season when they visit West Coast (2-7) at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
"We've had a little bit of a rough start, but we're pretty confident that we can have a massive impact on this competition," Bedford told AAP.
"We haven't found the best of form just yet, but in 2023 we were in a similar situation and in the second half of the year we came home strong.
"So we have a strong belief in the group that we can make some big waves for sure."
That 2023 season - when the Giants suffered one-point preliminary-final heartbreak against eventual premiers Collingwood - also serves up a cautionary tale.
Early that year, a West Coast side that would win just three games for the entire campaign managed to upset GWS in Perth.
The Eagles enter Sunday's contest on a six-game losing streak, but won't be taken lightly by their opponents.
"They're a young side, they're starting to play some good football and they're not just going to roll over," Bedford said.
"We know they're going to be a tough challenge, so we'll go over and try to play the best football we can.
"It's about us playing our roles and system. We went away from a few things that we've done really well in the past few years, and teams might have done a bit more homework on us.
"It's about us believing in our system and making small fixes, and I believe we can get that right."
A possible match-up with West Coast young gun Harley Reid looms for Bedford, who has built into the season after a delayed start.
A serious hamstring tear in February kept the 25-year-old out of action until Gather Round, but he has since strung together five consecutive games.
"I didn't have the start that I wanted and had a few quiet games, but now I'm feeling a lot better and a lot more confident," Bedford said.
Bedford's housemate and former Melbourne teammate Clayton Oliver will again be crucial to the Giants' chances in the west.
"A lot of people might not see it because we're in Sydney, but he's playing some unbelievable football and he's probably been one of our best players this season," Bedford said.
"I'm so happy to see him happy and playing good football. It's been great for him.
"He's extremely important for us and he's had a massive impact on the group. With Tom Green out (injured), he's had to shoulder a lot of the hard-ball gets and he's done that extremely well."
GWS named winger Ryan Angwin and debutant Harry Oliver, with key defender Jack Buckley out injured.
West Coast recalled talls Rhett Bazzo and Jack Williams to replace Harry Edwards (concussion) and young gun Cooper Duff-Tytler (managed).
