An aggressive mindset has helped Geelong defender Jed Bews take his game to another level

JED Bews’ journey has been one of steely resolve and relentless dedication. One that’s taken him from fringe back pocket at Geelong to dependable stopper.

Jed Bews has this season become a dependable component of Geelong’s defence. Picture SARAH REED

JED Bews has been raising the bar all his life.

As a kid it was with a pole vault.

As a young man, it’s in Geelong’s defence against a never-ending line of lethal goalsneaks who can rip the Cats’ heart out at any moment.

Bews’ isn’t a father-son tale of draft hype and instant stardom. His has been a journey of steely resolve and relentless dedication. One that’s taken him from fringe back pocket to dependable stopper.

TRADE NEWS: SCOTT: WE’D LIKE TO KEEP MENZEL

FLASHING LIGHTS: CATS FANS BID TO ‘GET GAZ BACK’

DRAFT REVIEW: WHY I WOULDN’T TAKE RAYNER NO.1

After two years in the reserves and only 31 appearances from 2014-16, Bews is on track to break his personal best of 16 games in a season and add to his one final against Sydney last year.

“I don’t feel cemented in this side. That’s the way I like to look at it anyway. Like I’m always playing for that spot,” Bews, 23, said this week.

“But the continuity has been good. You start to learn to play with the other guys in defence and how they play and they learn how I play. From that aspect it’s been good and we’re starting to see the benefits of that.

“I’m just loving that I’m playing each week. Mentally it’s been good being able to play each week and having the trust put in you has been nice.”

Jed Bews is action for the Cats. Picture: AAP Images

Bews was a junior national pole vault champion (4.80m), following his footballing-father Andrew and older brother Jackson into the sport.

He wouldn’t know it at the time, but the pole taught him the lessons that have served him well with the Sherrin at Simonds Stadium.

“You start low. It’s not like you’re doing 4m straight away,” Bews said of his teenage pursuit.

“The scariest part is when you start getting better, but you’re not really sure what you’re doing. You get to 3.5m and you’re getting high, but you’re still not sure and that’s when you have stacks. That’s when I had stacks, anyway.”

Bews was taken at pick 86 in the 2011 national draft, walking wide-eyed into a club that had just won the flag with some of best defenders in Cats history. Names like Scarlett, Enright, Lonergan, Taylor and Mackie leapt off the team sheet.

“There was some big names there,” Bews said.

“I didn’t expect to play at AFL level. I was just happy to be here, really.”

But Bews would start raising the bar. His VFL apprenticeship steadily won a growing band of admirers before he made his senior debut in Round 9, 2014.

Yet like the pole vault, Bews would have stacks on the footy field, too. For a while, they petrified him.

“Earlier on that was one of my fears. I didn’t want to mess everything up so I didn’t put myself out there,” he said.

“You want the coaches to trust you and if you make mistakes it’s hard to build that trust.”

Whether it was time, advice or even training as a forward over summer, Bews has learnt to let all that go.

“I’ve just gone for it this year, I reckon. Maybe it’s been about making that mental switch from being scared of making mistakes to thinking that if you make one, you make one,” Bews said.

“Everyone makes them and you just keep going and that’s how you learn. Over pre-season I spent a lot of time training as a forward just to add another string to my bow and that probably helped my attack and adopting the mindset of wanting the ball.”

This year Bews has silenced the likes Alex Fasolo, Jamie Elliott, Eddie Betts, Devon Smith, Mark LeCras and Brandon Matera. Robbie Gray is the only direct opponent to kick two goals on him.

“We try to play a more team defence rather than, ‘You’re playing on him, you’re playing on him’, which is good because it builds trust and we all help each other out,” Bews said.

“That’s where you need your teammates because it’s hard to concentrate all game. There’s going to be patches where you do switch off and having those guys around you is pretty good.

“I don’t mind the challenge though. If they keep throwing me the jobs, I’ll just keep doing them.”

Jed Bews in action in the pole vault.

Bews’ one taste of finals was last year’s disastrous preliminary final loss to the Swans, but he is honest enough to admit it was “the best game I’ve played in” and is eager for more.

“I enjoyed it even though it was a loss,” he said.

“Even this week against GWS is like a final for us because we want that top-two spot. Internally, we want to have a red-hot crack at this one because a final here would be awesome.

“The Richmond game (Round 21) was massive. I think over the years the home ground atmosphere has been getting better and better.”

A bit like Bews himself.

“I think this year I’ve improved a fair bit,” he said. “This opportunity I’ve got ... you start getting confidence in your game and you just keep going.”