.Geelong's pay attention to a tough finals project, certainly not beating Port Adelaide in all expenses, repaid handsomely after the Cats pranced right into a preparatory last without key players Tom Stewart and also Sam De Koning.Geelong's premiership tilt was actually boosted dramatically on Thursday evening after Chris Scott went with a conservative strategy with the celebrity duo and his edge still rolled to an 84-point get the unsatisfactory Power.Stewart (hamstring/illness) as well as De Koning (leg) are going to right now have precious additional time to prepare for the nine preliminary final of Scott's embellished 14-season tenure.Watch the very best protection of the 2024 AFL finals, with expert review and also every game up until the Grand Final LIVE with no ad-breaks during the course of play, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Beginning your free trial today > Finals Full week 1IMAGINE WHAT YOU CAN BE ACQUIRING RATHER. For Free and classified assistance ring 1800u00a0858u00a0858 or check out gamblinghelponline.org.au.Jezza opens up finals set along with astonishment!|00:35 CATS GAMER SCORES:' Off the charts' younger weapon fills skipping star space as good deal pick-ups dazzling' AMONG THE GREATEST': Superstar Kitty STUNS Portress along with fanatic act ... but it will not gain objective of the yearSpeaking post-game at the Adelaide Oval, Scott appropriately supported in play the long video game with 2 of his crucial defenders. "If our team took a threat with those guys and it backfired it definitely would not have been actually difficult, but the level of problem would certainly've gone through the roof," Scott revealed." The strategy was actually to become conventional with those men as well as perhaps still gain the activity, so our experts're thinking really good concerning that selection now, but our company are actually not being successful of ourselves.Geelong have actually registered their two most significant success of the 2024 period in back-t0-back activities, new off their 93-point gain West Coast that finished their home-and-away season on a high.But as Scott has seen original previously this period versus the likes of Carlton and Gold Coastline, it doesn't take much to become on the wrong end of a drubbing like what they handed Port Adelaide on Thursday evening. "Our experts've persevered the year with the swings via the period ... you are actually a small amount of an off evening coming from being poorly defeated," Scott proceeded." We keep finding that to ensure will certainly keep our feets on the ground." They're ideal instances of when you play properly you go, 'Oh, excellent decision' and if we will possess participated in inadequately it will have concerned, 'What would certainly've happened if we will possessed Stewart as well as De Koning?'" But our focus is on possessing an excellent month, not acquiring desperate as well as attempting to bluff our means into a prelim ... you can't carry out that in finals." Scott admitted he was still dealing with the decision to play Stewart or otherwise after he got a hamstring complaint in his last trip before ailment tipped the scales." He had a really good number of full weeks of training as well as we were actually truly confident that he would be right," the coach claimed." He was in total instruction for a session on Monday, our experts assumed he was visiting correct, however ... we were actually still examining that up." At that point he started to find down with a little bit of a flu, then due to the time he got up he was actually burglar sufficient that he would not play, so it merely kind of decided for him and also us a little less complicated." But, hand on soul, our company were pitching towards not playing him and our team will created the conservative call along with De Koning also." Stewart was already dashing versus the clock to play on Thursday evening before being stricken with a sickness (Image through Michael Willson/AFL Photos using Getty Images) Resource: Getty ImagesThe move to certainly not participate in Stewart additionally will possess thrown aspects of Port Adelaide's plan the home window too, having successfully delivered tension forward Jed McEntee to Stewart in their final 3 appointments with overwhelming success.Beyond the defensive duo nonetheless, Tom Hawkins (foot) and also Cam Guthrie (Achilles) will certainly play in the VFL on Sunday morning as they seek to press their cases after long unemployments." Our plan all along was actually for all of them to play recently so our experts'll advance keeping that," Scott included." Our experts'll stay confident, remain open-minded, maintain all the alternatives on the dining table, and also make great decisions in the second." I'll resist the temptation to forecast a lot of I can rest right here and suppose, and it definitely would not assist any person." In spite of the lack of Hawkins up onward versus the Energy, the Pussy-cats' forward line shone as intense as any type of this time - and also having kicked 18 behinds for the night, could have amazingly been ever better.Superstars Jeremy Cameron and also Tyson Stengle finished the evening along with four objectives each, while Gryan Miers and also Shaun Mannagh each kicked 3 majors. Tom Stewart eliminated of Felines v Slot|02:08 Hawkins' replacement Shannon Neale kicked 2.2 from his 9 disposals and also 9 symbols, bring in the moving toward option call on who to pick in two weeks opportunity (hanging Hawkins' physical fitness) a lot more interesting by the week.Asked if he want to view an initial final played in Geelong, certainly not the MCG where it are going to undoubtedly be actually arranged, Scott answered with a rascally gleam in his eye." I presume my setting has consistently been that you ought to play your home games no matter where you want," he admitted." However the AFL manage the finals series as well as they've got to work out whether that is actually the ideal thing or not, and they are actually balancing a great deal of factors that I don't think of that a lot." They've obtained the excellent of the game front end of thoughts plus all I respect is actually the Felines so it is actually logical that our experts would certainly disagree when our company have those various viewpoints." But a prelim last (in Geelong)? Why certainly not? It is actually a respectable stadium." What I will certainly state is prelim finals will definitely be actually played at some aspect at the Gold Coastline, or at Giants Arena, or Hobart.".