The footy world rarely sees it but his coaches and teammates “love him for it”.

So says Sydney Swans midfield coach Dean Cox about unheralded on-baller George Hewett after another superb campaign.

Hewett again chiselled out a mountain of work at the contest this season, blanketing some of the most dangerous ball-winners in the league and winning plenty of the footy himself.

And that, Cox says, is why he’s an inner-sanctum hit.

“If you’re talking about George he’s excelled at shutting blokes down and then he finds the footy himself. That’s primarily what he prides himself on and that’s what he delivered again this year,” Cox told SwansTV.

“His growth this year came with demanding things from other teammates. He’s started to really mature in that sense.

“He’s clean and tough and gets his job done week in and week out – and his teammates and coaches love him for it.”

Hewett produced arguably the best match of his season against the Brisbane Lions in Round 7.

The 2013 draftee posted 34 possessions (24 contested), seven clearances and six tackles.

While the Swans fell to a 22-point defeat to the Lions at the Gabba, another top-quality performance would inspire his side to victory in Hobart in Round 9.

Hewett collected 29 touches (20 contested), nine clearances and five tackles on his way to 10 AFL Coaches Association votes, spearheading a five-point backs-to-the-wall win.

Cox is a strong believer in Hewett’s potential.

“The thing with George is to continue to develop into a top-line AFL midfielder,” Cox said.

“He’s taken steps every year that he’s been here and progressed nicely. For him now it’s about realising he can still keep blokes quiet but generate a heap of the clearances and ball as well.

“It would be good to see him go forward and kick some goals as well. He didn’t kick too many goals this year; I think he kicked one. So it’d be good to see him start to really make them pay.”