0-6 v 12-2: The stats that suggest Geelong should be worried if Stewart is tagged in finals

Geelong should be concerned if clubs tag superstar Tom Stewart this finals series, according to Champion Data.

Stewart was tagged by St Kilda’s Liam Stocker for the last three quarters of their 107–89 Round 23 loss to the Saints and was restricted to just 12 touches with the tagger next to him.

It was the sixth time that Stewart has been properly tagged from 20 games this campaign (not including the Round 6 win over the Lions when he was subbed out with concussion).

Champion Data analyst Daniel Hoyne revealed that Geelong are 0-6 when teams have sent a stopper his way. In the 14 games that he's been allowed to roam free, the Cats are 12-2.

He also revealed some other interesting stats that will have opposition coaches putting serious thought into thwarting the five-time All-Australian’s influence.

“During the Geelong v St Kilda … for the first time in six weeks, Tom Stewart had a direct tag at a centre bounce for three quarters,” Hoyne told SEN Sportsday.

“He didn't have Liam Stocker in the first quarter, but he had him from the centre bounce at quarter time for the rest of the game.

“In three quarters against a team who has struggled to score this year, Geelong conceded 16 goals.

“In the six times that Stewart has had someone next to him this year, they are 0-6, in the 14 times he hasn't had someone, they’re 12-2.

“They concede 109 points per game when Stewart is tagged, and they concede 70 when he isn’t.”

After Ross Lyon successfully negated the opposition gun from the coaches’ box, Hoyne believes that other clubs that face Geelong in finals surely took notes on how he was able to do so with only one home and away game left before September.

“Every club's got their own analysts, so they’ve got all of this data with them,” Hoyne said.

“This is why it was always going to be a danger game for Geelong, not only for the potential outcome, but Ross was never going to let this happen.

“You know how he coaches. You see Mitch Owens go to him in the first quarter by coming in off the centre bounce but that didn’t work, so he threw that in the bin.

“Instead, (he got Stocker and said), ‘You’re following this bloke for the next three quarters’.

“Stewart has 12 touches in three quarters, and Geelong looked vulnerable again.

“If I'm Chris Scott, I'm looking at it going, ‘We almost got away with this before a final series, but we haven't now’.

“What's going to actually happen? It (a tag) is probably not going to happen against West Coast this week, but what's going to happen in the finals series?”

Stewart and the Cats next face the Eagles at GMHBA Stadium. If they finish fourth, they’ll likely face Sydney in a Qualifying Final matchup at the SCG in finals week one.