.Geelong's focus on a strong finals project, certainly not trumping Port Adelaide at all costs, settled handsomely after the Cats skipped right into an initial last without key players Tom Stewart and Sam De Koning.Geelong's premiership tilt was built up significantly on Thursday night after Chris Scott selected a traditional strategy along with the celebrity duo and his edge still grumbled to an 84-point draw the disappointing Power.Stewart (hamstring/illness) and De Koning (knee) are going to right now possess valuable additional opportunity to organize the ninth preliminary last of Scott's enhanced 14-season tenure.Watch the best protection of the 2024 AFL finals, along with expert review and also every video game up until the Grand Final LIVE with no ad-breaks in the course of play, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Begin your free of cost trial today > Finals Full week 1IMAGINE WHAT YOU COULD BE ACQUIRING RATHER. Free of cost and also confidential assistance ring 1800u00a0858u00a0858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.Jezza opens up finals collection with STUNNER!|00:35 PUSSY-CATS GAMER SCORES:' Off the charts' younger weapon loads overlooking celebrity gap as discount pick-ups dazzling' SOME OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE': Super Star Feline STUNS Portress with addict act ... but it won't win goal of the yearSpeaking post-game at the Adelaide Oval, Scott rightly backed in play the lengthy activity along with 2 of his essential defenders. "If our company took a danger with those men as well as it backfired it definitely would not have been actually impossible, yet the level of challenge would possess risen," Scott revealed." The program was actually to become traditional along with those fellas as well as perhaps still gain the game, so we are actually experiencing excellent regarding that selection right now, however our company are actually certainly not getting ahead of ourselves.Geelong have actually registered their pair of greatest triumphes of the 2024 season in back-t0-back games, new off their 93-point gain West Coastline that completed their home-and-away time on a high.But as Scott has actually observed original earlier this season versus the similarity Carlton and also Gold Coastline, it does not take much to be on the inappropriate end of a drubbing like what they handed Port Adelaide on Thursday evening. "Our company've seen it through the year along with the swings by means of the period ... you are actually a little bit of an off evening coming from being actually terribly defeated," Scott proceeded." Our team maintain observing that to make sure that will certainly maintain our feets on the ground." They're perfect instances of when you play effectively you go, 'Oh, terrific selection' and also if our experts would certainly have participated in inadequately it will possess had to do with, 'What would possess happened if our experts 'd had Stewart and also De Koning?'" However our focus is on possessing a great month, certainly not getting desperate as well as trying to bluff our means right into a prelim ... you can not do that in finals." Scott admitted he was still having problem with the selection to play Stewart or otherwise after he picked up a hamstring problem in his last trip prior to disease hinted the scales." He possessed a really good number of weeks of training and also our team were actually really hopeful that he would correct," the coach said." He was in full instruction for a session on Monday, our experts thought he was actually heading to be right, however ... our experts were still analyzing that up." At that point he started ahead cognizant a little an influenza, at that point by the opportunity he woke up he was scoundrel good enough that he would not play, so it just form of made the decision for him and our team a little less complicated." But, hand on heart, our team were leaning towards not playing him and we will made the conventional call with De Koning also." Stewart was presently racing versus the clock to use Thursday evening before catching a disease (Picture through Michael Willson/AFL Photos through Getty Images) Resource: Getty ImagesThe transfer to certainly not participate in Stewart likewise would have thrown factors of Port Adelaide's plan out the window too, having actually efficiently sent out stress forward Jed McEntee to Stewart in their final 3 meetings with mind-boggling success.Beyond the defensive duo nonetheless, Tom Hawkins (foot) and Webcam Guthrie (Achilles) will definitely play in the VFL on Sunday early morning as they try to press their insurance claims after long cutbacks." Our plan all along was for all of them to play recently so our company'll advance with that," Scott included." We'll keep hopeful, remain unbiased, always keep all the possibilities on the dining table, and also make great choices in the moment." I'll resist the appeal to forecast way too much I can sit here and guess, as well as it would not help any person." Despite the absence of Hawkins up forward versus the Energy, the Cats' foremost line shone as brilliant as any kind of this season - and also having kicked 18 behinds for the night, might possess extremely been ever better.Superstars Jeremy Cameron as well as Tyson Stengle finished the evening along with 4 targets each, while Gryan Miers and Shaun Mannagh each booted 3 majors. Tom Stewart eliminated of Cats v Port|02:08 Hawkins' replacement Shannon Neale booted 2.2 coming from his 9 disposals and also 9 symbols, making the coming close to choice call on who to choose in pair of weeks time (hanging Hawkins' exercise) even more fascinating by the week.Asked if he wish to view a preparatory final played in Geelong, not the MCG where it are going to undoubtedly be set up, Scott answered along with a naughty gleam in his eye." I assume my posture has actually regularly been actually that you should play your home video games wherever you really want," he confessed." However the AFL operate the finals series as well as they have actually come to exercise whether that's the correct thing or otherwise, and also they're stabilizing a great deal of things that I don't think of that a lot." They have actually got the good of the activity face of mind plus all I appreciate is the Pussy-cats so it is actually logical that our company will disagree when we possess those various standpoints." However a prelim ultimate (in Geelong)? Why not? It's a fair coliseum." What I will certainly claim is prelim finals are going to be actually played at some aspect at the Gold Coastline, or even at Giants Arena, or even Hobart.".