Giants assistant coach Steve Johnson expects Toby Greene will keep Tom Stewart contained in GWS v Geelong match

After a best-on-ground performance, Tom Stewart is set to receive a bit of extra attention from the Giants in round 8.

MELBOURNE. 30/04/2022. AFL. Geelong vs Fremantle at GMHBA Stadium, Geelong. Tom Stewart of the Cats . Photo by Michael Klein

A former Geelong great has warned his old club that Tom Stewart will not have free reign for the second consecutive week as the Cats prepare to face the Giants.

Stewart enjoyed a career-best game despite Geelong’s loss to Fremantle at GMHBA Stadium in round 7, collecting 40 disposals, 14 marks and 962 metres gained.

But Cat-turned-Giant Steve Johnson, who is the forwards coach at Greater Western Sydney, said Stewart would be held accountable when Geelong play in Canberra on Saturday.

“Tom’s been one of the best defenders in the competition, pretty much since his inception into the Geelong team,” he said.

Tom Stewart of the Cats in action during the 2022 AFL Round 07 match between the Geelong Cats and the Fremantle Dockers at GMHBA Stadium on April 30, 2022 in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“We’ll for sure talk about how we can curtail his influence, he was best on field in a narrow loss last week and that’s form you can’t ignore.

“This Cats team are well drilled and have a lot of experience so they can make a lot of positional changes on the run.”

The Giants enjoyed a strong win against Adelaide in round 7, highlighted by an efficient forward line that included four goals to Greene, and bags of three to key forward Jesse Hogan, co-captain Stephen Coniglio and star Lachie Whitfield.

Johnson said there was a “strong chance” Greene could be tasked with keeping Stewart accountable.

Toby Greene of the Giants celebrates a goal with Josh Kelly and Lachie Whitfield during the 2022 AFL Round 07 match between the Adelaide Crows and the GWS Giants at Adelaide Oval on April 30, 2022 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“I think there’s a strong chance there will be a Stewart v Greene match up, and that’ll be a battle well worth watching,” he said.

“Toby’s got a huge presence, we know when he’s at his best he’s one of the best players in the competition.

“He’s very strong in the air and he’s very dangerous on the ground and he makes his teammates around him play with more confidence as well.

Toby Greene of the Giants during the 2022 AFL Round 07 match between the Adelaide Crows and the GWS Giants at Adelaide Oval on April 30, 2022 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“We do our research on the key defenders of the opposition that we’re coming up against and you don’t want to be beaten by what you know.

“While we want our players to play to their strengths, we’ve also got to be aware of what the opposition players can bring to their team as well.”

Originally published as Giants assistant coach Steve Johnson expects Toby Greene will keep Tom Stewart contained in GWS v Geelong match