.Geelong's pay attention to a strong finals campaign, certainly not beating Port Adelaide in all expenses, paid handsomely after the Cats skipped in to a preliminary ultimate without key players Tom Stewart and Sam De Koning.Geelong's premiership tilt was built up substantially on Thursday night after Chris Scott opted for a traditional approach along with the superstar duo and his edge still grumbled to an 84-point win over the unsatisfactory Power.Stewart (hamstring/illness) and De Koning (knee) are going to right now have priceless extra opportunity to organize the ninth initial final of Scott's embellished 14-season tenure.Watch the most ideal insurance coverage of the 2024 AFL finals, with pro study as well as every activity up until the Grand Final cope with no ad-breaks in the course of play, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Beginning your free trial today > Finals Week 1IMAGINE WHAT YOU COULD BE BUYING INSTEAD. For Free and also personal assistance phone call 1800u00a0858u00a0858 or check out gamblinghelponline.org.au.Jezza opens finals collection with astonishment!|00:35 CATS GAMER RATINGS:' Off the charts' younger gun fills skipping star void as good deal pick-ups great' ONE OF THE GREATEST': Superstar Pet Cat STUNS Portress along with fanatic act ... but it will not gain objective of the yearSpeaking post-game at the Adelaide Oval, Scott appropriately backed in play the long activity along with two of his crucial protectors. "If our company took a risk along with those guys and also it backfired it wouldn't have been actually inconceivable, yet the degree of challenge will've risen," Scott explained." The plan was to be conventional with those fellas and also with any luck still gain the activity, so our team are actually thinking good concerning that decision now, however our team are actually not thriving of ourselves.Geelong have actually registered their pair of biggest wins of the 2024 time in back-t0-back games, clean off their 93-point gain West Coast that finished their home-and-away time on a high.But as Scott has observed in person previously this period versus the similarity Carlton and also Gold Coastline, it does not take much to become on the incorrect end of a walloping like what they handed Slot Adelaide on Thursday evening. "Our team have actually seen it through the year along with the swings via the season ... you are actually a small amount of an off night coming from being actually horribly beaten," Scott proceeded." We always keep finding that so that will definitely keep our feet on the ground." They're best instances of when you play well you go, 'Oh, wonderful selection' as well as if we would certainly have participated in badly it will have had to do with, 'What would've taken place if our team would certainly possessed Stewart as well as De Koning?'" Yet our focus is on possessing a great month, not obtaining desperate and also attempting to bluff our technique in to a prelim ... you can't perform that in finals." Scott admitted he was still battling with the selection to play Stewart or otherwise after he picked up a hamstring criticism in his final getaway prior to ailment tipped the scales." He possessed an excellent couple of full weeks of instruction and also our team were actually confident that he would correct," the instructor stated." He remained in full training for a treatment on Monday, our experts assumed he was actually heading to be right, however ... we were actually still examining that up." At that point he started to find cognizant a little bit of an influenza, after that by the opportunity he got out of bed he was scoundrel enough that he definitely would not participate in, so it just form of made the decision for him and also us a little easier." But, hand on soul, our experts were bending in the direction of not playing him and also our team will produced the conventional phone call along with De Koning as well." Stewart was actually presently competing versus the clock to use Thursday evening prior to catching a disease (Image by Michael Willson/AFL Photos using Getty Images) Resource: Getty ImagesThe relocate to not play Stewart also will have tossed components of Port Adelaide's plan the window as well, having actually effectively sent out pressure forward Jed McEntee to Stewart in their last 3 conferences with mind-boggling success.Beyond the defensive duo nevertheless, Tom Hawkins (feet) and also Cam Guthrie (Achilles) are going to play in the VFL on Sunday early morning as they try to drive their cases after lengthy layoffs." Our plan all along was actually for them to play today so we'll advance with that," Scott included." Our team'll remain confident, stay broad-minded, keep all the alternatives on the table, as well as make good decisions in the instant." I'll avoid the lure to forecast way too much I could possibly sit right here and speculate, and it wouldn't aid anyone." Despite the lack of Hawkins up forward against the Electrical power, the Cats' forward line shone as brilliant as any type of this period - and also having actually booted 18 behinds for the evening, can possess remarkably been ever before better.Superstars Jeremy Cameron and Tyson Stengle ended up the evening along with four objectives each, while Gryan Miers as well as Shaun Mannagh each kicked 3 majors. Tom Stewart ruled out of Cats v Port|02:08 Hawkins' substitute Shannon Neale booted 2.2 from his nine disposals as well as nine symbols, creating the approaching choice contact who to select in pair of weeks time (pending Hawkins' health and fitness) a lot more interesting by the week.Asked if he would love to find an initial ultimate played in Geelong, not the MCG where it will definitely be actually arranged, Scott replied with a troublesome shimmer in his eye." I believe my position has constantly been that you must play your home video games any place you desire," he confessed." Yet the AFL operate the finals set and they've reached work out whether that's the best point or not, and also they're stabilizing a whole lot of traits that I do not deal with that much." They have actually received the really good of the activity front end of mind plus all I love is the Cats so it is actually sensible that our experts would disagree when our team have those different viewpoints." But a prelim final (in Geelong)? Why certainly not? It is actually a fair coliseum." What I will state is actually prelim finals will definitely be played at some aspect at the Gold Coastline, or at Giants Stadium, or Hobart.".