Geelong great Jimmy Bartel believes his former club would have done plenty of research and enforced multiple “terms and conditions” on new Cat Tyson Stengle’s contract.
The news broke on Friday afternoon that Geelong had signed Stengle as a delisted free agent after his impressive year in the SANFL.
The 23-year-old was originally drafted to Richmond in 2016 and more recently spent time at the Crows.
However, a string of off-field discretions has derailed his career.
The Cats also recruited Eddie Betts earlier in the off-season as an assistant coach, and Stengle’s close relationship with the champion small forward was believed to be a deciding factor in coming to the club.
Bartel is confident Betts’ influence will be able to help the young forward.
“I imagine they would have done a great deal of homework and also put a lot of parameters and conditions around Tyson down there,” he told Sportsday.
“Having Eddie Betts is a big help, he obviously knows him really well, he’s been a mentor and a senior figure for him, so that helps.
“But there’d definitely be some terms and conditions around his contract.
“He’s also afforded the opportunity because he has talent, and the Cats need a small forward to hit the scoreboard.”
The Brownlow Medallist now hopes there’s the right support network for Stengle to flourish at the club.
“Clearly talent affords you opportunities more than anything else. He’s got talent, Geelong saw him play in the SANFL, they thought he might fill a need as a small forward,” he added.
“With Eddie Betts coming in as an assistant coach, he knows him intimately, has a great relationship with him, (Geelong) think well, there’s the right people around to get the most out of Tyson.
“You’ve got all the mechanisms around him, so hopefully he thrives and becomes a long-term player for the Cats.”
Brad Close was the club’s leading small forward in 2021, kicking 15 goals.