.Geelong's focus on a sturdy finals initiative, certainly not trumping Port Adelaide at all expenses, settled handsomely after the Cats pranced right into a preliminary final without key players Tom Stewart and Sam De Koning.Geelong's premiership tilt was boosted substantially on Thursday night after Chris Scott opted for a traditional method with the star duo and his side still rolled to an 84-point gain the disappointing Power.Stewart (hamstring/illness) and De Koning (leg) will definitely right now have priceless extra time to prepare for the 9th preparatory ultimate of Scott's enhanced 14-season tenure.Watch the greatest coverage of the 2024 AFL finals, with specialist review as well as every game until the Grand Final LIVE with no ad-breaks during play, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Beginning your totally free trial today > Finals Week 1IMAGINE WHAT YOU MAY BE ACQUIRING INSTEAD. Free of charge as well as personal support call 1800u00a0858u00a0858 or check out gamblinghelponline.org.au.Jezza opens finals collection with astonishment!|00:35 PUSSY-CATS PLAYER RANKINGS:' Off the charts' young gun fills up skipping superstar void as deal pick-ups dazzling' ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE': Super Star Feline STUNS Portress along with freak show ... but it will not win target of the yearSpeaking post-game at the Adelaide Oval, Scott appropriately supported in play the lengthy game with 2 of his essential defenders. "If our experts took a risk along with those guys and also it backfired it wouldn't have been actually inconceivable, yet the degree of trouble will possess skyrocketed," Scott explained." The strategy was to become conventional along with those people and also perhaps still win the video game, so our experts're believing excellent regarding that selection now, yet our experts're certainly not prospering of ourselves.Geelong have actually enrolled their 2 largest triumphes of the 2024 time in back-t0-back video games, clean off their 93-point draw West Coast that finished their home-and-away period on a high.But as Scott has actually seen first-hand previously this season versus the likes of Carlton and also Gold Shore, it doesn't take much to become on the inappropriate end of a walloping like what they handed Port Adelaide on Thursday evening. "Our team have actually persevered the year with the swings through the time ... you're a small amount of an off evening coming from being severely beaten," Scott proceeded." Our team keep observing that so that will definitely keep our feet on the ground." They're ideal examples of when you participate in properly you go, 'Oh, fantastic choice' as well as if our team will possess participated in badly it will possess been about, 'What will've occurred if our experts 'd had Stewart and De Koning?'" But our emphasis gets on possessing a great month, certainly not acquiring vicious and attempting to bluff our method in to a prelim ... you can't do that in finals." Scott admitted he was still battling with the choice to participate in Stewart or not after he grabbed a hamstring problem in his last trip prior to health problem hinted the ranges." He possessed a really good couple of full weeks of instruction and also our company were actually definitely positive that he will correct," the trainer said." He was in total instruction for a treatment on Monday, we presumed he was heading to correct, however ... we were actually still examining that up." After that he began to follow cognizant a little bit of a flu, at that point by the opportunity he got out of bed he was burglar good enough that he definitely would not play, so it only type of decided for him and also our team a bit easier." But, palm on center, we were actually pitching towards certainly not playing him as well as our team would certainly produced the conventional phone call along with De Koning as well." Stewart was actually already competing against the clock to use Thursday evening prior to contracting an ailment (Photo through Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images) Resource: Getty ImagesThe relocate to not play Stewart also would have thrown aspects of Slot Adelaide's plan the home window also, having efficiently sent pressure forward Jed McEntee to Stewart in their last 3 meetings with difficult success.Beyond the protective duo having said that, Tom Hawkins (feet) as well as Webcam Guthrie (Achilles) will definitely play in the VFL on Sunday early morning as they try to press their insurance claims after long discharges." Our plan all along was for them to play today so our company'll push on with that," Scott included." Our team'll stay optimistic, keep open-minded, maintain all the choices on the dining table, and also make great decisions in the instant." I'll resist the temptation to forecast way too much I might sit here as well as guess, and it wouldn't assist anyone." Even with the lack of Hawkins up onward versus the Electrical power, the Cats' foremost line shone as bright as any sort of this period - and having actually kicked 18 behinds for the night, could possibly have extremely been ever better.Superstars Jeremy Cameron and Tyson Stengle finished the evening along with 4 goals each, while Gryan Miers as well as Shaun Mannagh each booted three majors. Tom Stewart eliminated of Pussy-cats v Slot|02:08 Hawkins' replacement Shannon Neale kicked 2.2 from his 9 disposals as well as 9 symbols, bring in the coming close to assortment contact that to choose in two full weeks opportunity (pending Hawkins' health and fitness) a lot more appealing by the week.Asked if he would love to see an initial final played in Geelong, not the MCG where it are going to definitely be actually set up, Scott replied with a troublesome gleam in his eye." I believe my posture has actually consistently been actually that you must play your home activities everywhere you desire," he confessed." But the AFL operate the finals collection as well as they've come to exercise whether that is actually the best factor or otherwise, as well as they are actually harmonizing a great deal of things that I don't deal with that a lot." They have actually acquired the really good of the activity front end of mind plus all I respect is the Pet cats so it is actually rational that we would disagree when we have those different point of views." However a prelim ultimate (in Geelong)? Why not? It's a fair arena." What I will mention is actually prelim finals are going to be actually dipped into some point at the Gold Shoreline, or even at Giants Stadium, or even Hobart.".