GEELONG is dialling up the intensity and putting the mouth guards in this preseason, as the Cats hone their contested skills.

One-on-one drills have been a specific focus on the track for the Cats, with players going head-to-head in classic contested battles.

Defender Tom Stewart told the Geelong Advertiser the players had attacked the combative pre-season head-on.

“We have gone into this pre-season with a real contested focus,” he said.

From day dot the coaching staff has come in with that aspect to compete and fight and scrap.”

Stewart believes the fight in the clinches will become all the more important with the implementation of new rules in 2019.

“The way that games are going to be played this year there is going to be a lot more one-on-ones and there are going to be times when you are one-on-one with an opponent so you will just have to find a way to scrap and half or win a contest,” he said.

We have attacked this pre-season with that mindset of, you have got to be a good contested player, especially one-on-one, because those opportunities are going to present themselves. - Tom Stewart

“To be harsh on ourselves, in those big games in the last few years we haven’t really stood up in the big moments, so to train it and give ourselves that exposure from an early start is going to be really important at the pointy end of the season.”

The All-Australian defender said the young Cats who he had come into the system with were ready to make their mark this season.  

“There hasn’t been anyone in particular, but you can start to see from around my draft year the progression of those younger bodies,” Stewart said.

“They have had that continuity in their training and guys like Brandan Parfitt, Quinton Narkle and Esava Ratugolea, and even Mark O’Connor, are getting that continuity.

“There is no specific individual but that collective, now that we have spent three years together, we understand what is expected and it has been good to see that next group really push the senior group along.”