TITLE WON’T CHANGE ‘PROUD’ TOM’S STYLE
BEING handed the title of vicecaptain is a proud moment for Cats defender Tom Stewart but the newly minted deputy has no plans to change his leadership style.
The three-time All-Australian was elevated to a vice-captaincy position, joining Patrick Dangerfield, in a slimmed-down Geelong leadership group under skipper Joel Selwood.
With Stewart the youngest of the group, he looms as the potential successor to Selwood’s record-breaking reign as captain but he brushed off the suggestion he was next in line.
“I have been in this (leadership) group for the last four years, just because I have a different title won’t necessarily mean I will change what I do or how I respond to the role," he said. “We have a lot of blokes who can step into that role at any given moment.
“It is a very proud moment for myself and my family. I suppose the journey I have been on throughout my career, it was always something I have aspired to be, to have this title.
“The title is fantastic, but there are any number of people we would lean on throughout the year, so it is not all up to us three, we are going to lean on as many blokes as we can.”
Stewart said he would not be fazed if Selwood and Dangerfield were unavailable during the year and he was left to lead the Cats as captain for the first time, and joked he would be a “grumpy” skipper.
Should Selwood be unavailable, a tongue-in-cheek Dangerfield suggested he and Stewart could wrestle for the honour of tossing the coin.
“I just think the best way I can lead is to play well, that is where I am going to really hang my hat out at the
It is a very proud moment for myself and my family. Cats vice-captain Tom Stewart
start, to just go out there and compete each week,” Stewart said.
Selwood said the reduced leadership team – after having seven in the group last year – was “the best way to go for now” but a raft of players would be involved in decision making.
“A lot of our conversations revolve around having 12-15 guys be a part of it, so to have three just to front the media at different times is just a bit easier,” he said.
During Monday’s pre-season match on the Gold Coast, Dangerfield appeared to touch Suns star Touk Miller in the chest with his studs in a marking contest but no free kick was paid. The Geelong star said he had not received any communication from the AFL for the incident, which he could not recall.