Stewart faces three weeks on sidelines

STAR Geelong defender Tom Stewart faces a minimum three-match suspension when he fronts the tribunal for his crunching bump on Richmond’s Dion Prestia.

In a huge blow for the Cats, one of the competition’s best backmen looks set to miss clashes against North Melbourne, Melbourne and Carlton as Chris Scott’s men attempt to shore-up another top-two berth.

Teammate Isaac Smith said on Sunday that Stewart told him mid-game “I’ve done something really bad and I feel sick about it” after concussing the Tigers’ star ball winner.

The league on Sunday referred Stewart, 28, straight to the tribunal after grading the bone-crunching bump on Prestia as careless conduct, high contact and severe force.

The severe grading means it had to be sent to the tribunal under the match review guidelines due to the seriousness of the incident.

Prestia was laid out in the incident and substituted out of the game with concussion, meaning he will miss the Tigers’ next clash against West Coast at the MCG.

At the tribunal, the AFL representative is likely to push for a four-match suspension for Stewart, but the Cats will hope to downgrade the ban by at least one match based on Stewart’s excellent character and record in 119 matches.

If he is banned for three matches, Stewart will return against Port Adelaide in round 19 at Adelaide Oval.

The Cats have a softer run home in the final month. Three of their final games are at home, against Western Bulldogs, St Kilda and West Coast, and they play Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium.