But his statistics this season prove that he has risen from goal-sneak to consistent ball-magnet.
In his six appearances for the undefeated Cats (he missed the round four win over the Sydney Swans at the SCG due to neck soreness), Stokes has averaged 23 possessions per game.
His improvement was demonstrated by his outstanding performance in Geelong's 66-point win over North Melbourne at Skilled Stadium in round seven.
Stokes spent much of that game in the midfield, ending the afternoon with 30 possessions, 10 of which were contested.
The 26-year-old, with 94 AFL matches to his name, also took 10 marks and successfully cleared the ball from a stoppage on four occasions.
"It's the best game I've seen him play," Geelong coach Chris Scott said at the time.
Last weekend, Stokes picked up another 16 touches in the Cats' narrow win over Collingwood.
He also kicked a crucial first-quarter goal from near the boundary line, which came after Geelong had booted eight behinds in a particularly wayward start to the game.
"It was pretty disappointing that we didn't kick more goals early on," Stokes said.
"But once I got a set shot I knew I needed to block that out and kick one. I knew we just needed to settle down a bit and I was really glad it went through.
"To go on and beat them gave us a lot of belief that we can compete against the best, because they are the best."
The key to Stokes' changing role is that he hasn't sacrificed his ability to make an impact on the scoreboard.
He booted three goals against North Melbourne, a haul that included a brilliant long bomb that brought the Cats fans to life.
In recent weeks, his coach has also credited Stokes with playing an organisational role when the team's other forwards get dragged too far up the field.
"I guess with Cameron Mooney out for the past couple of games and Stevie Johnson playing a bit more in the midfield, it means I've probably played the most games of anyone in the forward line," Stokes explained.
"It means I've taken on a little bit more of a leadership role out there. I actually quite enjoy that. It gives me more to think about during a game than just how I'm going.
"I really love playing in this team and seeing the improvement in everyone.
"Travvy Varcoe is going really well and Mitch Duncan and Dan Menzel are playing great footy week in week out."
Stokes has cemented his place in the Cats' line-up during the past month, with his coach stating he "could be a genuine onballer".
And he's expecting to spend plenty more time in the midfield when Geelong meets Carlton at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.
The game will kick-off the AFL's Indigenous Round, which is an initiative that Stokes is a firm believer in.
"To me, it's more about the past players and what they were able to do to spread awareness of indigenous issues," he said.
"It's really about what they were able to do for our sport and also our people.
"The fact that we have a lot of Aboriginal players now makes me proud, and I think we need to be respectful of what the past players did to ensure we have so many opportunities these days."
