.Geelong's focus on a sturdy finals campaign, not trumping Port Adelaide at all expenses, paid off handsomely after the Cats pranced into a preparatory final without key players Tom Stewart and Sam De Koning.Geelong's premiership tilt was actually boosted substantially on Thursday night after Chris Scott picked a traditional method along with the star duo and his edge still grumbled to an 84-point sway the unsatisfactory Power.Stewart (hamstring/illness) and De Koning (knee) will certainly now have valuable extra time to prepare for the ninth preparatory final of Scott's adorned 14-season tenure.Watch the most effective coverage of the 2024 AFL finals, with pro evaluation and every activity till the Grand Final cope with no ad-breaks in the course of play, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your complimentary test today > Finals Week 1IMAGINE WHAT YOU MIGHT BE ACQUIRING AS AN ALTERNATIVE. Absolutely free and also personal assistance telephone call 1800u00a0858u00a0858 or go to gamblinghelponline.org.au.Jezza opens finals collection with astonishment!|00:35 PET CATS GAMER RATINGS:' Off the graphes' young weapon loads missing out on star void as discount pick-ups fantastic' ONE OF THE MOST IDEAL': Superstar Cat STUNS Portress along with fanatic act ... yet it will not win target of the yearSpeaking post-game at the Adelaide Oval, Scott rightly supported in play the long game along with 2 of his essential defenders. "If our experts took a threat along with those fellas and it backfired it wouldn't have been actually inconceivable, however the level of problem would certainly possess gone through the roof," Scott revealed." The program was to become conservative along with those individuals and with any luck still win the game, so our company are actually experiencing good concerning that decision now, however our company're not being successful of ourselves.Geelong have actually enrolled their 2 biggest victories of the 2024 time in back-t0-back video games, clean off their 93-point sway West Coast that finished their home-and-away period on a high.But as Scott has found original previously this season versus the likes of Carlton and Gold Shore, it does not take much to be on the wrong 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 via the time ... you're a small amount of an off night from being badly trumped," Scott continued." Our company maintain seeing that to ensure are going to maintain our feet on the ground." They're perfect examples of when you play properly you go, 'Oh, terrific selection' and if we will possess played inadequately it would certainly have been about, 'What would certainly possess happened if we would certainly had Stewart and also De Koning?'" But our concentration performs having a great month, not acquiring acute and attempting to bluff our means right into a prelim ... you can't do that in finals." Scott admitted he was actually still struggling with the choice to participate in Stewart or not after he picked up a hamstring criticism in his final getaway prior to illness hinted the scales." He had a great couple of weeks of training and our team were actually optimistic that he would be right," the coach mentioned." He remained in complete training for a treatment on Monday, our company presumed he was visiting correct, however ... our company were still evaluating that up." Then he began to follow down with a bit of a flu, at that point due to the time he got out of bed he was actually scoundrel good enough that he would not participate in, so it merely type of made the decision for him and also our team a bit simpler." Yet, hand on soul, we were actually pitching towards certainly not playing him as well as our team 'd created the conservative telephone call along with De Koning too." Stewart was actually presently dashing versus the time clock to play on Thursday evening prior to being stricken with an illness (Photo through Michael Willson/AFL Photos by means of Getty Images) Source: Getty ImagesThe relocate to not participate in Stewart likewise will have thrown factors of Port Adelaide's plan the window as well, having effectively sent pressure forward Jed McEntee to Stewart in their final 3 conferences with difficult success.Beyond the defensive duo nevertheless, Tom Hawkins (foot) and Webcam Guthrie (Achilles) will definitely play in the VFL on Saturday morning as they try to drive their insurance claims after lengthy discharges." Our program the whole time was for all of them to play this week so we'll advance keeping that," Scott incorporated." We'll keep confident, stay open-minded, keep all the possibilities on the table, and also make great selections in the instant." I'll stand up to the temptation to anticipate excessive I might sit below as well as suppose, and it definitely would not aid any individual." In spite of the absence of Hawkins up ahead versus the Energy, the Cats' forward line shone as vivid as any this time - as well as having booted 18 behinds for the night, can have remarkably been actually ever better.Superstars Jeremy Cameron and also Tyson Stengle completed the evening along with 4 goals apiece, while Gryan Miers and also Shaun Mannagh each booted 3 majors. Tom Stewart dismissed of Kitties v Slot|02:08 Hawkins' substitute Shannon Neale kicked 2.2 coming from his 9 disposals and 9 symbols, creating the coming close to option call that to select in two full weeks opportunity (hanging Hawkins' physical fitness) even more intriguing due to the week.Asked if he would like to view a preliminary last played in Geelong, not the MCG where it are going to definitely be actually scheduled, Scott answered along with an insidious gleam in his eye." I believe my placement has actually regularly been actually that you must play your home activities wherever you wish," he confessed." Yet the AFL operate the finals series and also they have actually got to work out whether that's the ideal thing or not, and also they are actually balancing a lot of traits that I do not deal with that much." They've got the excellent of the activity front of mind plus all I respect is actually the Pet cats so it is actually logical that our experts would differ when we possess those various viewpoints." But a prelim last (in Geelong)? Why certainly not? It is actually a pretty good stadium." What I will definitely state is prelim finals will certainly be dipped into some factor at the Gold Shore, or at Giants Stadium, or even Hobart.".