Stewart and Hickey lead stingy backline
DESPITE the influx of zones and fresh tactics to modern football, defenders generally like to keep things simple.
So it is no surprise that when AFL star Tom Stewart takes charge of the AFLW Cats’ backline unit he likes to make things uncomplicated.
It is the easy messaging from the 26-year-old AllAustralian that has rubbed off on defenders such as Melissa Hickey, Meg McDonald, Cassie Blakeway and youngster Millie Brown.
And Stewart has been equally impressed with how Cats skipper Hickey has led the group.
“(Hickey is) unreal. The skipper takes a lot of my messaging and she just rolls with it,” he said.
“She’s really fun to work with, as are a lot of the girls.”
An experienced player with six VWFL premierships before joining the AFLW, Hickey has worked with a range of coaches.
And her combination with Stewart has blossomed.
“(Stewart is) a fantastic coach, just his insights are great and I love that Stewy’s message is often simple,” she said.
“There are a lot who are pretty new to the game so he keeps it nice and simple.
“I think we had a really strong backline last season and we’re going to be strong this year.”
Stewart’s work with the defensive group paid immediate dividends in Geelong’s first AFLW season.
Only eventual premier Adelaide conceded less than Geelong in 2019, which was a main reason why the Cats eventually made it through to the finals.
McDonald was the breakout star of that campaign and was her club’s only representative in the All-Australian team.
Head coach Paul Hood said a combination of hard running and competitiveness had helped keep opposition forwards cold last year.
“We believe our group’s a really competitive group,” Hood said.
“That had been a prime part of the list build.
“They are competitive because they really like to fight in games, but also we’ve got some tremendous athletes who can cover the ground. “That was a secret to our defensive success last year, for sure.” When he retires from playing, a long career in coaching may beckon Stewart.
The man leading the way for the stingy defenders said he had relished his first two years with the whistle.
“I do enjoy it. It’s obviously the second season with the girls and, with one eye on the future, it’s something I’d like to get into,” he said.
“The club has been really good at giving me exposure to that early in my career and I was happy to go around again.
“It’s a great bunch of girls to work with.”