TOM Stewart is about to enter rarified air. 

Already with two Therabody AFL All-Australian blazers to his name, the gun Geelong defender plays his 100th match against Brisbane on Thursday well on track for his third in five seasons. 

Only West Coast hero Peter Matera and Essendon/Port Adelaide superstar Gavin Wanganeen have achieved that feat inside the same time on an AFL list.  

To compare between opening 100-match windows, Marcus Bontempelli, Nat Fyfe, Chris Judd, Nick Riewoldt and Joel Selwood all carry incredible resumes in recent times. 

But when it comes to pure defenders, you can make a case only West Coast's Jeremy McGovern and Stewart's former Cats teammate Harry Taylor compare to the 28-year-old as the best from their maiden tons since the turn of the century. 

Taylor was an All-Australian after game 63 and two-time premiership player in game 90, which included a sterling job on Riewoldt in game 90 to help clinch the Cats the 2011 flag.   

McGovern didn't debut until his fourth season on the Eagles' list but won his first blazer after game 54 and his third after game 100. 

As for the others, Blue Sam Docherty, Swan Dane Rampe, Lion Harris Andrews and Crow Rory Laird established themselves early and were first-time All-Australians after games 92, 94, 95 and 98, respectively. Tiger Alex Rance and Eagle Darren Glass were guns in their own right but really hit their straps after their first major milestones. 

Geelong coach Chris Scott labelled Stewart's 99th game last Friday night against the Western Bulldogs as "one of the best I've seen a half-back flanker play".

In a match that included the heroics of Bontempelli and Selwood, it was Stewart who had 10 intercept marks to be a clear best on ground. 

Seen by many at Geelong as a captain-in-waiting, Stewart now has as much focus from opposition clubs as Patrick Dangerfield or Tom Hawkins before matches against the Cats.  

His poise, ability to read the play and sublime consistency have won plaudits across the competition and he has this year taken his offensive game to new heights, averaging a career-high 24.8 disposals per game. 

Stewart has missed just eight games since his debut as a 23-year-old plucked out of the Cats' VFL program in 2017 and is likely to be leading the club's best and fairest count after 13 matches as he chases his first gong. 

While AFL fans have salivated at Stewart's start to his career, Taylor this week lifted the lid on what many don't see. 

"I don't think it's any surprise the best trainers and best preparers are generally your best players. One thing he always does really well is bring a fierce attitude, a really competitive attitude to all of the training sessions," Taylor told AFL.com.au.

"And one thing that probably separates Tom compared to some of the others is the really relaxed nature he's able to bring before the game. 

"You often see, if you get to the game early, having a muck around kick with Zach Tuohy or Lachie Henderson, he does have a really good balance of being able to turn on his intensity and then switch it off when he doesn't need to be as intense."

Matthew Scarlett has long been praised for identifying Stewart from local club South Barwon, getting him to the VFL and ultimately drafted at pick No.40 in the 2016 NAB AFL Draft. 

But Taylor said Stewart needed his fair share of plaudits for working through a serious shoulder reconstruction that meant he couldn't test at the AFL State Combine prior to the draft and hampered his training up until Christmas in his first summer at the club. 

"The self-determination stands out with all the of the best players and it's certainly the case with Tom," Taylor said.

'ICON OF THE GAME' Cats defend skipper Selwood after recent criticism

"He came with a shoulder injury and had surgery ahead of the draft and that was something that could've really impacted the start of his career. 

"But he really made the most of it and was out at every session trying to watch and trying to learn even though he couldn't do the physical work for the better part of his first pre-season.

"'Scarlo' (backline coach at the time) and he had a relationship so that was significant, but I remember his willingness to learn and wont to improve. 

"That's easy to say and you might think everyone has that but there is a difference between the very, very good players and the others who play the game."

Now able to sit comfortably in a conversation including McGovern and Taylor, Stewart's next comparison may come as the greatest No.44 to play for the Cats. 

Current forwards coach and Cats games record holder Corey Enright holds the mantle as a three-time flag winner, six-time All-Australian and dual best and fairest. 

Enright's first blazer came as a 27-year-old before a phenomenal rise into his 30s. 

Should Stewart's trajectory continue, it's a debate that could come sooner than expected.