.Geelong's concentrate on a sturdy finals initiative, certainly not beating Port Adelaide in all costs, paid handsomely after the Cats pranced right into a preparatory final without key players Tom Stewart as well as Sam De Koning.Geelong's premiership tilt was actually built up significantly on Thursday evening after Chris Scott opted for a traditional strategy with the superstar duo and his edge still roared to an 84-point draw the disappointing Power.Stewart (hamstring/illness) and also De Koning (knee) are going to presently possess precious added time to prepare for the nine initial last of Scott's enhanced 14-season tenure.Watch the most ideal insurance coverage of the 2024 AFL finals, along with expert study and also every activity until the Grand Final cope with no ad-breaks in the course of play, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Beginning your free of cost test today > Finals Week 1IMAGINE WHAT YOU MAY BE ACQUIRING INSTEAD. Totally free and also classified help ring 1800u00a0858u00a0858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.Jezza opens up finals collection along with STUNNER!|00:35 FELINES PLAYER RATINGS:' Off the charts' youthful weapon packs missing star space as deal pick-ups brilliant' AMONG THE GREATEST': Celebrity Feline STUNS Portress along with fan show ... but it will not win objective of the yearSpeaking post-game at the Adelaide Oval, Scott appropriately backed in play the long video game along with 2 of his key defenders. "If our team took a threat with those people and it backfired it wouldn't have been difficult, however the degree of problem would certainly possess gone through the roof," Scott revealed." The program was actually to be traditional along with those men and ideally still succeed the video game, so our company are actually experiencing really good concerning that decision currently, but our company're not prospering of ourselves.Geelong have actually enrolled their 2 most significant triumphes of the 2024 period in back-t0-back games, clean off their 93-point draw West Shoreline that completed their home-and-away season on a high.But as Scott has actually found original previously this season versus the likes of Carlton as well as Gold Coastline, it doesn't take much to be on the wrong end of a drubbing like what they handed Port Adelaide on Thursday evening. "Our team have actually persevered the year along with the swings with the season ... you are actually a little bit of an off night coming from being terribly trumped," Scott carried on." Our experts always keep viewing that so that are going to maintain our feet on the ground." They're best instances of when you participate in effectively you go, 'Oh, terrific decision' as well as if our experts 'd have played poorly it will possess concerned, 'What will possess occurred if our experts would certainly had Stewart and De Koning?'" But our concentration is on having a great month, not receiving acute and trying to bluff our method in to a prelim ... you can't perform that in finals." Scott acknowledged he was actually still battling with the choice to play Stewart or not after he got a hamstring problem in his final trip just before ailment hinted the scales." He had a good number of weeks of instruction and our team were actually definitely optimistic that he would certainly be right," the trainer said." He resided in total training for a treatment on Monday, we thought he was actually visiting be right, yet ... our company were actually still evaluating that up." After that he began ahead down with a little bit of a flu, after that by the opportunity he got out of bed he was actually scoundrel good enough that he definitely would not participate in, so it simply form of decided for him and also our company a little bit simpler." Yet, palm on soul, our team were pitching towards certainly not playing him as well as we will produced the conventional telephone call with De Koning at the same time." Stewart was actually actually competing versus the time clock to play on Thursday night just before coming down with a sickness (Image through Michael Willson/AFL Photos using Getty Images) Source: Getty ImagesThe relocate to certainly not participate in Stewart additionally would certainly possess thrown factors of Slot Adelaide's plan out the window also, having efficiently sent out tension forward Jed McEntee to Stewart in their final 3 appointments along with mind-boggling success.Beyond the protective duo however, Tom Hawkins (foot) and Cam Guthrie (Achilles) will definitely play in the VFL on Sunday morning as they attempt to push their insurance claims after long layoffs." Our plan the whole time was for them to play today so our team'll advance keeping that," Scott incorporated." We'll remain optimistic, remain open-minded, always keep all the choices on the dining table, and also make great decisions in the second." I'll withstand the seduction to forecast too much I could possibly sit below as well as suppose, and also it wouldn't assist anyone." Despite the absence of Hawkins up ahead against the Power, the Cats' forward line shone as bright as any kind of this period - as well as having actually booted 18 behinds for the night, can have incredibly been ever better.Superstars Jeremy Cameron and also Tyson Stengle completed the night along with 4 targets apiece, while Gryan Miers and also Shaun Mannagh each booted 3 majors. Tom Stewart dismissed of Cats v Port|02:08 Hawkins' substitute Shannon Neale kicked 2.2 coming from his nine fingertips and also nine symbols, creating the approaching option get in touch with that to pick in two full weeks opportunity (hanging Hawkins' physical fitness) a lot more interesting by the week.Asked if he wish to view a preliminary last played in Geelong, not the MCG where it are going to surely be scheduled, Scott answered with a mischievous shimmer in his eye." I think my setting has actually consistently been that you must play your home video games wherever you yearn for," he admitted." Yet the AFL manage the finals collection and also they've got to exercise whether that is actually the ideal point or not, and they are actually balancing a great deal of factors that I don't consider that a lot." They have actually obtained the good of the game front end of thoughts plus all I appreciate is actually the Cats so it is actually sensible that our company would disagree when our company have those different standpoints." However a prelim ultimate (in Geelong)? Why not? It is actually a good arena." What I will definitely mention is prelim finals will definitely be actually played at some point at the Gold Shoreline, or even at Giants Coliseum, or Hobart.".