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Lyon: Narrative around Stewart concussion has been wrong
Andrew Slevison • September 23rd, 2025 3:00 pm
Garry Lyon has been disappointed by some of the reporting around the Tom Stewart situation ahead of this weekend’s AFL Grand Final.
The Geelong defender will miss the season decider against Brisbane at the MCG this Saturday due to the concussion he sustained early in the Preliminary Final final win over Hawthorn last Friday night.
It has reignited the debate that perhaps the bye that the AFL wants around finals time should be prior to the Grand Final and not immediately after the home and away season.
While Lyon doesn’t mind when the finals bye takes place, he still doesn’t feel like concussion is being treated like a normal injury across the entire industry.
“You can argue the case for the break between the prelim and the Grand Final, but don't relate it back to the concussion argument, because that would be as disappointing as anything that's happened,” Lyon said on SEN Breakfast.
“I was really disappointed with some of the reporting and narrative around that.
“It was almost like, ‘oh no, concussion, this brain injury's gonna keep him out of playing in the Grand Final’.
“He's got injured, and it's really tragic from a footy point of view for Tom that he's going to miss a Grand Final.
“But this is an indication of how far we've come. There's no pressure now on these doctors (to make decisions on head knocks).
“He’s got a brain injury that is going to prevent him from playing in the final, which is really disappointing, but no more disappointing than Jarrod Berry potentially missing with a shoulder injury.
“That's just the life and the world we live in.”
Lyon suggests that some of the commentary surrounding Stewart, the AFL and the difficult position they’re in has been a bit off.
“This reporting on the ‘nightmare situation for the AFL’. No, it wasn't a nightmare situation,” he continued.
“It was a great sign that the AFL are finally taking this concussion set up seriously, and the clubs are supporting it.
“So the HIA that he did said, ‘no, you're ruled out’, knowing full well that he'd be ruled out of the Grand Final in the case that they did make it.
“That's what has happened, and that is a sign that we're taking brain injuries seriously, finally.”
Co-host Tim Watson asked if the AFL could possibly bring in the pre-finals bye, perhaps to house a potential Wildcard Round, while adding the pre-Grand Final bye as well.
Lyon replied: “Yes, of course you can, but if you're going to bring in a Wildcard weekend and then the bye before the Grand fight you potentially could play three games in six weeks.
“That wouldn’t be ideal, would it?
“I think they be careful about how they go about that, because if the Wildcard weekend comes in and you move the bye to before the Grand Final, you're not going to play much footy.”
The Cats, without vice-captain Stewart, are preparing to win their 11th V/AFL premiership when they meet the Lions at the 'G from 2:30pm AEST on Saturday.
