IT IS often said that big blokes take plenty of time to hit their peak.

But the same can be said of some little men. And Geelong's Mathew Stokes, one of the shortest players in the AFL, has become a key example.

Since moving into the midfield last season, Stokes has shot to prominence as one of the Cats' most creative and consistent performers.

Having started his 2014 campaign with 39 possessions (worth 117 Fantasy points) in Geelong's narrow NAB Challenge win over Collingwood, he now firmly believes he's playing the best footy of his 155-game career – at the ripe old age of 29.

"I feel most at ease in the midfield, and I feel really confident going into games," Stokes told AFL.com.au during the club's Australia Post Community Camp in Colac.

Recruited from the Northern Territory via South Australia, Stokes spent his first seven seasons at Geelong playing as a small forward.

He was part of the 2007 and 2011 premiership teams, but the idea to move him into the midfield was hatched after his form tailed off in 2012.

The change of roles worked brilliantly. Stokes averaged 26 possessions per game last year, and even snuck forward to boot 12 goals.

"Sometimes playing up forward can be like a roller-coaster," he said. "Some days you play well and some days you don't. That's the way it works out.

"But I feel that since going into the midfield I've brought a lot of consistency to my game.

"At the same time, you've to work hard when you're in the midfield, and I've got a lot of great blokes around me who have taught me the best way to go about it."

Stokes was everywhere in the Cats' NAB Challenge win over the Magpies, although he was nursing a few knocks after the game.

"I pulled up pretty sore," he said. "It didn't feel like a pre-season game. It was a high-intensity game, and when you play footy you always want to win, so it was good to come away with a victory.

"After a long pre-season there's nothing better than getting into games, and it felt good to get my hands on the ball.

"It popped out to me a few times, so I found a bit of it.

"I'm pretty happy with the way I'm going, but I have only played one NAB Challenge game this year and I need to get a couple more under my belt before round one."

Geelong's second NAB Challenge game is against Melbourne in Alice Springs on Friday, February 28.

Twitter: @AFL_AdamMcNicol http://afl.to/adammcnicol