Cats to face daunting Blues challenge minus star back

Geelong is now the only undefeated side in the league after six rounds, and they’ll have to face their next challenge without premiership defender Tom Stewart.

Stewart was ruled out of the Cats 26-point win over Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday night, after an unfortunate and accidental head knock with Lion Kai Lohmann in the second term.

The five-time All-Australian jumped to spoil Lohmann’s ball, but clashed his jaw with the back of his opposition’s head, with the force pushing him backward and he landed flat on his back.

He looked in agony as he was attended to by club doctors, who quickly rushed him off to undergo his HIA.

Failing that, Stewart was subsequently ruled out with concussion, meaning he’ll now be forced to sit out the Cats blockbuster clash with Carlton in round seven.

Cats two-time premiership coach Chris Scott said his side knew straight away that they’d be without Stewart in the second half, a brutal blow considering the heavy and wet conditions.

”It was really clear after halftime that he wasn’t coming back on, so we moved on (with our structure),” Scott said post-match.

“I find it really difficult to convey the situation around this stuff (concussion).