Geelong coach Chris Scott insists Tom Stewart's masterful move into the midfield has been driven by the player himself, rather than coaches alone.
Moving key defender Sam De Koning into the ruck and star backman Stewart on ball has been crucial to Geelong's past two wins.
But ahead of Friday night's clash with Collingwood at the MCG, Scott insisted both moves were made as a "collaboration" with the player.
"I hope I'm never that type of coach that sits there by myself and decides 'this is what we're going to do, hell or high water'," he said.
"It's a collaboration and the most important person in that collaboration is the player himself.
"We made that shift with Tom Stewart for example. I've got no interest in forcing a round peg into a square hole.
"Tom had to be bought into the idea and really, in the execution of it and even in the planning of it, he was the central one and I was the support act there."
Scott stressed the Cats would rather go with "a slightly inferior plan" that the players bought into.
"Because after all, they're the ones who have got to do it, who have got to think through it when the plan goes slightly awry - which it always does, that's AFL footy," he said.
Stewart has embraced the role, averaging 24.5 disposals, nine contested possessions and 9.5 marks across the past two weeks.
"You might remember about 12 months ago he played a little bit of midfield," Scott said.
"So this is not something where we're like 'we need to have a crisis meeting and change the plan' - this is something that's been evolving over a long period of time.
"The point that I'm trying to be specific with is that Tom should take the credit for the evolution of that plan and the execution."
Magpies dynamo Nick Daicos has been tagged on-and-off this season.
When asked if the Cats would give Daicos attention, Scott said: "Yeah but I think he's a bit like Tom Stewart.
"This idea that teams either give them attention or they don't I think is a little misleading.
"... It's a bit disrespectful to them (other coaches) to say 'oh because Tom Stewart played well, you just didn't pay any attention'. No, the plan just didn't work.
"Everyone has a plan. We'll have a plan for Nick. Collingwood'll have a plan for Tom Stewart.
"It changes a little bit week-to-week based on your personnel and your form ... so there are different ways to think about it.
"I'd prefer he (Daicos) wasn't in the team, we wouldn't have to waste five hours going through all the "what ifs' with him."
