Geelong's Tom Stewart will miss the upcoming AFL grand final after suffering a concussion during the preliminary final against Hawthorn. The injury occurred in the first quarter when Stewart was tackled by Hawks forward Mabior Chol. He was assisted off the field and quickly substituted out of the game.

Despite Stewart's early exit, Geelong rallied to secure a 17.13 (115) to 13.7 (85) victory at the MCG. The win marked the team's third grand final appearance in six years. However, the loss of Stewart, a key player and vice-captain, is a significant blow to the team.

Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield expressed his disappointment for Stewart, stating, "He's one of my great friends. It's not just the playing part for me, it's the person he is. He's been such an enormous part of the success we've been able to have as a club over a long period."

Geelong coach Chris Scott described Stewart's concussion as "shattering" and acknowledged the difficulty of the situation. Under the AFL's concussion protocols, Stewart is ruled out of the grand final, which is scheduled for next Saturday against either Collingwood or Brisbane.

The incident has reignited discussions about the possibility of implementing a pre-grand final bye week. Scott noted, "I think generally in these situations you change your mind depending on what it means for you. So I'm very pro a week off before the grand final - if we can sneak that in this year."

As the team prepares for the grand final, the absence of Stewart will be felt both on and off the field, as he has been a vital contributor to Geelong's success.