Stewart sets sights higher

Drafted by Geelong with its second round pick in last year’s national draft, Stewart has also worked closely with Cats champion and assistant coach Matthew Scarlett, who also mentored him at GFL club South Barwon.

He said he had learned plenty about the “speed and the ferociousness” of football at the highest level.

“It’s pretty unforgiving if you make a mistake or you’re a little bit off. You just have to be 100 per cent on, or at least try to be 100 per cent on all the time, and just better yourself and compete,” he said.

“I had a lot of blokes told me what to expect, so it wasn’t any surprise. It’s the same footy you play every week, it’s just faster and more precise.”