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Scott wants Grand Final change amid shattering Stewart update
SEN • September 20th, 2025 11:55 am
Tom Stewart entering AFL concussion protocols and subsequent unavailability for the Grand Final next weekend has reignited the debate over the scheduling of the late season bye.
Geelong coach Chris Scott described Stewart's status as a "shattering situation" after his sides ruthless victory over Hawthorn at the MCG on Friday night.
A tackle by Mabior Chol saw Stewart's head forced into the ground in the first quarter and he played no further role in the blockbuster. He is now unavailable for 12 days as per league protocols.
Currently the bye round is the week after the home and away season is completed as opposed to the Grand Final, something Scott hopes changes in the next 12 months.
“I’m very pro a week off before the grand final, if we can sneak that in this year,” he said after the 115-85 victory.
“The Stewart one’s a bit hard to take right at the moment.
“I understand it’s not optimal for the AFL to have masses of players rested for inconsequential games in the last home-and-away round of the year, but I just didn’t think that was a good enough reason.
“I feel that the clubs should have autonomy over this stuff, and it was in a period of time, too, where the AFL just couldn’t find another space for a bye during the year and then they found one overnight.”
In a bid to see the positives as well as the heartbreak, Scott lauded his captain Patrick Dangerfield who delivered a true masterpiece of a performance with 32 disposals, 21 contested, eight clearances and three goals.
“He was born to play at this time of year and I hope it continues for a long, long time,” Scott said.
“When we were under pressure, I just thought he was so influential.
“It felt like it did almost 10 years ago, when it was like, OK, something’s not going right, how do we get Patrick in the spots where he can influence?
“You can do a whole lot of things with older players to help them still perform well into their 30s but you’ve still got to have that will and...that drive that Patrick has. Very few have it.”
Geelong will play their fourth Grand Final under Scott's leadership next Saturday and will face the winner of the Collingwood v Lions clash on Saturday.
