Left-field moves in Geelong’s win over Essendon can help unlock the star power of Tom Stewart and Sam De Koning
Two of Geelong’s most important players were in form slumps, but some creative changes can unlock their star power.
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Geelong coach Chris Scott promised to get creative after his side’s agonising defeat to Carlton, and two midfield moves should go a long way in helping unlock the star power of a pivotal defensive duo.
The form slump of Tom Stewart was perhaps overstated – he was going better than his numbers suggested with heavy attention – but there was no doubt his drop-off was having a negative impact on the Cats.
Scott thrust the five-time All-Australian defender into the midfield to help shake the tag of Archie Perkins.
Speculation was abound during the pre-season that Stewart he would play extended midfield minutes this season, but the 31-year-old stressed at the time it was a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ move.
Tags from Port Adelaide, GWS, Sydney and Carlton and six losses from their last seven games had the sirens wailing loud and clear.
Stewart attended more centre bounces than any other Cat and won four clearances and laid five tackles, rolling back into defence to help out in the backline with five intercepts and six marks – two of those contested.
His 23-disposal outing wasn’t resounding, but it was his highest tally since round four and certainly a step in the right direction after a strong defensive effort last week against the Blues, where he laid seven tackles.
The switch allowed the Cats to get the experience, clean hands and mature frame of Stewart around the ball to help address their struggling midfield while playing him into form — a win-win.
“The move makes sense to me, I hold him in such high regard,” Scott said of Stewart.
“I joked if we played him as a small forward, he would probably be the best small forward in the comp, in my opinion.
“He’s just got great attributes and a great attitude to his footy and I don’t think he has been shooting the lights out, but he is going a lot better than people sense he has been.”
Sam De Koning didn’t have opposition attention to contend with, but he has faced struggles with form himself.
The 23-year-old key defender was given the mountainous task of containing his in-form older brother last week, and while Tom absolutely dominated, Sam was the second-highest rated player on the ground behind his sibling.
The Cats could have easily shelved that experiment against Essendon’s two-pronged ruck set-up but they chose to persist with De Koning.
He almost had more possessions than Todd Goldstein and Sam Draper combined, finishing with 21 disposals, 16 hit-outs and five clearances in another promising showing in the ruck.
“I don’t mind saying if it didn’t work with Sam, we’d do it again next week,” Scott said.
“We could leave him as a defender and I’m sure he’d do that role brilliantly for us, but a bit like some of our other players over the last couple of months, it just hasn’t been clicking for him.
“We just made no apologies for prioritising our best players but also our best young players as well.”
The debut of Lawson Humphries was arguably the most seamless change of them all for the Cats.
The 21-year-old rebounding defender competed well defensively, made good decisions in tricky situations and provided run and carry with 15 disposals, five intercepts and 91 SuperCoach points.
The only question mark was why the Cats hadn’t brought the draft smokey in sooner, given his eye-catching performances at VFL level, the move of Max Holmes into the midfield and the Stewart shutdown jobs.
“I’m pleased he was able to get the ball enough to show what he can do with the ball — the decision making and the kicking. In the contest he was good, but it is hard to get these things right because it feels like we have been talking about him for a couple of months,” Scott said.
“And I guess you’re always hopeful that you look back and think, ‘should have pulled the trigger on that a little bit earlier’, but at least we got him in there (on Saturday night).
“I thought he and Mitch Knevitt were impactful.”
Geelong has now won its last seven games over Essendon after its convincing 45-point triumph.
And while it has been suggested that Geelong hasn’t beaten any of the top teams, it has now knocked off half of the current top-eight and should remain in fifth spot.
It is one tick of a challenging month, with Hawthorn at the Cattery, Collingwood at the MCG and then Western Bulldogs at home to come.
Regardless of whether these three left-field moves continue in the long-term, the Cats and their important defensive duo should be all the better for these crunch clashes.
Originally published as Left-field moves in Geelong’s win over Essendon can help unlock the star power of Tom Stewart and Sam De Koning
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