.Geelong's focus on a solid finals project, certainly not defeating Port Adelaide in any way expenses, repaid handsomely after the Cats skipped right into a preliminary final without principals Tom Stewart and also Sam De Koning.Geelong's premiership tilt was reinforced substantially on Thursday night after Chris Scott selected a conservative method along with the superstar duo and also his side still rumbled to an 84-point win over the disappointing Power.Stewart (hamstring/illness) and De Koning (leg) are going to right now have precious additional time to prepare for the 9th initial final of Scott's embellished 14-season tenure.Watch the most effective protection of the 2024 AFL finals, along with specialist review and also every game till the Grand Final cope with no ad-breaks in the course of play, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Begin your cost-free trial today > Finals Week 1IMAGINE WHAT YOU MIGHT BE PURCHASING AS AN ALTERNATIVE. Free of charge and also personal support phone call 1800u00a0858u00a0858 or even go to gamblinghelponline.org.au.Jezza opens finals set with astonishment!|00:35 PUSSY-CATS PLAYER RANKINGS:' Off the graphes' young weapon packs missing star gap as bargain pick-ups brilliant' AMONG THE BEST': Celebrity Cat STUNS Portress with addict show ... however it won't gain goal of the yearSpeaking post-game at the Adelaide Oval, Scott rightly supported in play the long game along with 2 of his vital defenders. "If our experts took a risk with those individuals as well as it backfired it would not have actually been inconceivable, but the level of difficulty would certainly possess skyrocketed," Scott clarified." The planning was to be traditional with those fellas as well as with any luck still win the activity, so our experts are actually thinking good concerning that decision right now, yet our team are actually not getting ahead of ourselves.Geelong have actually registered their 2 biggest success of the 2024 season in back-t0-back activities, fresh off their 93-point sway West Shoreline that completed their home-and-away period on a high.But as Scott has actually seen original previously this period against the likes of Carlton and Gold Coastline, it doesn't take a lot to become on the incorrect end of a drubbing like what they handed Port Adelaide on Thursday night. "Our company have actually seen it through the year with the swings through the period ... you're a small amount of an off evening coming from being terribly defeated," Scott carried on." Our team maintain observing that in order that are going to keep our feet on the ground." They are actually excellent instances of when you play properly you go, 'Oh, terrific decision' as well as if our experts would certainly have participated in poorly it will have had to do with, 'What would've happened if our experts will possessed Stewart as well as De Koning?'" But our emphasis gets on having a really good month, certainly not acquiring vicious and attempting to bluff our technique into a prelim ... you can't do that in finals." Scott accepted he was still having problem with the choice to play Stewart or otherwise after he picked up a hamstring issue in his last day trip just before ailment hinted the scales." He had a great number of full weeks of training and our team were really optimistic that he would be right," the train claimed." He resided in total instruction for a session on Monday, our experts thought he was visiting be right, yet ... our experts were actually still examining that up." Then he began to come down with a little an influenza, after that due to the time he awakened he was actually criminal good enough that he would not play, so it only kind of made the decision for him as well as our company a bit much easier." But, palm on heart, our experts were bending towards certainly not playing him as well as we would certainly made the conservative call along with De Koning too." Stewart was already racing against the clock to play on Thursday evening just before being stricken with an illness (Photograph by Michael Willson/AFL Photos by means of Getty Images) Source: Getty ImagesThe relocate to certainly not play Stewart also would certainly have tossed factors of Port Adelaide's plan the window too, having actually effectively sent out stress forward Jed McEntee to Stewart in their final 3 conferences along with overwhelming success.Beyond the defensive duo having said that, Tom Hawkins (foot) and also Webcam Guthrie (Achilles) will play in the VFL on Sunday early morning as they attempt to drive their cases after lengthy unemployments." Our program the whole time was actually for them to play this week so our experts'll push on keeping that," Scott added." Our experts'll remain optimistic, remain broad-minded, always keep all the alternatives on the table, and make great choices in the second." I'll resist the temptation to forecast way too much I might sit listed here and speculate, and it wouldn't assist anyone." Even with the lack of Hawkins up forward against the Energy, the Pet cats' forward line shone as brilliant as any kind of this time - as well as having booted 18 behinds for the night, could possibly possess amazingly been ever before better.Superstars Jeremy Cameron and Tyson Stengle ended up the night with four objectives each, while Gryan Miers and also Shaun Mannagh each kicked 3 majors. Tom Stewart dismissed of Felines v Port|02:08 Hawkins' replacement Shannon Neale booted 2.2 coming from his 9 disposals and also nine marks, making the approaching selection call that to pick in two weeks opportunity (pending Hawkins' fitness) a lot more intriguing by the week.Asked if he would love to view an initial ultimate played in Geelong, not the MCG where it are going to absolutely be actually scheduled, Scott answered with a mischievous shimmer in his eye." I assume my position has actually consistently been actually that you must play your home games everywhere you wish," he admitted." Yet the AFL run the finals series and they have actually reached exercise whether that's the ideal trait or otherwise, as well as they're harmonizing a great deal of traits that I do not consider that much." They have actually got the great of the game front of mind plus all I appreciate is the Pussy-cats so it is actually sensible that we would disagree when our team possess those different point of views." Yet a prelim ultimate (in Geelong)? Why not? It is actually a good coliseum." What I will definitely point out is actually prelim finals will definitely be dipped into some aspect at the Gold Shore, or at Giants Coliseum, or Hobart.".