Essendon great Matthew Lloyd believes Geelong made a tactical mistake by bringing in ruckman Rhys Stanley to replace injured defender Tom Stewart for the grand final.

The Cats were having great success with Mark Blicavs handling the ruck duties across finals, while Stanley was sidelined with a hamstring injury.

However, with Stewart out they made the call to bring back the 34-year-old over a like-for-like type in Jed Bews or a substitute option in Ollie Henry. Advertisement

Brisbane dominated the clearances on Saturday, which ultimately helped separate the two teams, while Stanley and Blicavs both had minimal impact on the game, both as ruckmen and as forwards.

Rhys Stanley of the Cats during the AFL Grand Final via Getty Images

Lloyd believes Geelong coach Chris Scott would

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