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“If we didn’t think we could contend I don’t think we would continually say that we are going to. We would go back and rebuild as other teams have done, but that is not how we as a football club believe it is supposed to be done. We play football to win,” Stewart said.

“We are going to stick our necks out there again and we are going to have a crack. I am ready to get after it again. We might get heartbroken and the wolves will come again but we are going to put ourselves out there and have another go.”

Stewart said he did not buy into the thinking that Geelong needed to play more young players, saying they picked their best 22 each week. However, he empathised with those out of the team, particularly in the past two seasons when the VFL was interrupted and games cancelled.

He said the team could play with more flair in his opinion, but the game style was an area for the coaches and that injuries to key players at key times had hurt them in 2021.

“We can probably improve by playing a bit faster at times, playing with a bit more flair and taking the game on a bit. That is just my personal opinion. That’s not something from the coaches or the footy club. To be fair, I don’t think we have been too far away,” Stewart said.

Stewart did not make his debut until shortly after his 24th birthday in 2017, but he has been a revelation and is one of the most admired defenders in the game, with his intercept marking and run vital to the Cats’ ability to rebound from defence in attacking fashion.

After Stewart’s match against the Western Bulldogs in round 13, which earned him two Brownlow votes, Cats coach Chris Scott said it was one of the best games he had seen a half-back flanker play, while teammate Zach Tuohy said Stewart was the best defender in the game.

“It was my most consistent season. I just firmly believed I was good enough player now. There was no doubt at what I could bring at AFL level,” Stewart said.

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He had a big 12 months, playing in a grand final, becoming a dad and winning the club best-and-fairest award. He said being a parent alongside his partner Emma helped his football as he found a way to switch off from the game with his son Arthur.

He won the award from emerging defender Henry, who was brilliant in the Cats’ first two finals games after a consistent season. Henry was not picked for round one but rebounded from that disappointment to become the 23-year-old Geelong can build their defence around in the future.

Veteran key forward Tom Hawkins finished third after another fine season where he backed up his Coleman Medal win in 2020 by finishing runner-up in 2021. He was Geelong’s leading goalkicker for the 10th successive season.

Former Hawk Isaac Smith finished fourth and last year’s winner Cam Guthrie finished fifth. Brownlow medallist Patrick Dangerfield was outside the top 10 for the first time since joining Geelong after injury and suspension derailed his season.

First-year player Max Holmes was named Geelong’s best young player and Darcy Fort won their VFL best and fairest award.

Geelong best and fairest top 10

1. Tom Stewart (214 votes)
2. Jack Henry (212)
3. Tom Hawkins (189)
4. Isaac Smith (187)
5. Cameron Guthrie (182)
6. Mark Blicavs (156)
7. Brad Close (155)
8. Joel Selwood (147)
9. Jed Bews (143)
10. Brandan Parfitt (140)

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