Stewart took on miserly Adelaide full-back Ben Rutten in his first official hit-out for the Power in round one of the NAB Cup, and his opponents in the next two weeks of the pre-season competition included West Coast skipper Darren Glass and star Western Bulldogs defender Brian Lake.
He kicked three goals against Lake in the NAB Cup semi-final and said he’d learned a lot playing on the highest-calibre defenders in the game.
“Lake, Rutten and Glass are just a few blokes that haven’t played that much footy, so they’re good match-ups for a guy like me who hadn’t even made his debut at that point,” Stewart laughed.
“They’re all probably twice the size of me, so I learned how to position myself against them and tried to stay out of their way when they came charging at me.”
Stewart avoided crossing paths with a fourth All-Australian in his AFL debut last weekend with Geelong full-back Matthew Scarlett missing the game through injury, but he still had a tough day out in the Power’s 95-point loss.
The 21-year-old made the most of his limited opportunities, kicking a goal from his first mark in AFL football and said he was hoping to add to his goal tally in the coming weeks.
“It probably wasn’t the best game to debut in, but I’m glad I’ve got it out the way. It was a bit nerve-racking because Geelong is a good team, but it was pretty exciting at the same time,” Stewart said.
“The ball wasn’t really coming down that much and it was a pretty tough day for all the forwards. I think I got a mark and a goal and that was about it, but I’m happy with that. I did my bit for the team.”
Stewart was overlooked in the draft as an 18-year-old and spent time playing league football in both Queensland and South Australia before being rookie-listed by Port Adelaide at the end of 2008.
He didn’t play a game for the Power in his first season at the club, but showed enough promise in the SANFL finals series to earn a spot on the senior list for 2010.
He faces stiff competition to hold his spot for the game against St Kilda on Saturday night, with ex-Richmond forward Jay Schulz pushing for selection but was hopeful his ability to play in the ruck would given him an edge at the selection table.
“I just want to keep improving and to try and cement my spot in the team, whether that is in the ruck or up forward. I want to get as many games under my belt as I can this season,” he said.
“There are a lot of tall forwards at the club and we’re all young and eager to cement a spot.
"It’s pretty tough out there at training. When you talk to each other you’re all nice, but really you just want to take their spot.”
