.Geelong's focus on a solid finals project, certainly not beating Slot Adelaide in all prices, paid handsomely after the Cats pranced right into a preliminary ultimate without key players Tom Stewart and also Sam De Koning.Geelong's premiership tilt was actually enhanced considerably on Thursday night after Chris Scott chose a conservative approach along with the superstar duo as well as his edge still grumbled to an 84-point gain the frustrating Power.Stewart (hamstring/illness) and also De Koning (knee) will now have precious additional opportunity to prepare for the nine preliminary final of Scott's adorned 14-season tenure.Watch the greatest coverage of the 2024 AFL finals, with specialist analysis and also every game up until the Grand Final deal with no ad-breaks during the course of play, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Beginning your cost-free test today > Finals Full week 1IMAGINE WHAT YOU CAN BE PURCHASING AS AN ALTERNATIVE. Free of charge as well as confidential support ring 1800u00a0858u00a0858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.Jezza opens up finals series along with astonishment!|00:35 PUSSY-CATS GAMER SCORES:' Off the graphes' younger gun packs missing star space as deal pick-ups great' ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE': Superstar Pussy-cat STUNS Portress along with freak show ... yet it will not win goal of the yearSpeaking post-game at the Adelaide Oval, Scott rightly backed in play the lengthy game along with 2 of his key protectors. "If our experts took a threat with those men as well as it backfired it wouldn't have actually been impossible, yet the degree of challenge would certainly possess skyrocketed," Scott clarified." The program was actually to become traditional with those men as well as with any luck still gain the video game, so our experts're feeling excellent concerning that decision right now, however our team are actually certainly not progressing of ourselves.Geelong have registered their pair of greatest wins of the 2024 time in back-t0-back video games, new off their 93-point sway West Shore that finished their home-and-away time on a high.But as Scott has found in person previously this season against the similarity Carlton and Gold Shore, it does not take much to be on the wrong end of a drubbing like what they handed Slot Adelaide on Thursday evening. "Our company have actually persevered the year along with the swings via the period ... you're a little bit of an off evening from being actually horribly trumped," Scott proceeded." Our experts always keep observing that so that are going to maintain our feet on the ground." They are actually perfect examples of when you participate in well you go, 'Oh, great choice' and also if our experts 'd have participated in improperly it will have had to do with, 'What would certainly possess taken place if our experts 'd possessed Stewart as well as De Koning?'" But our focus is on possessing an excellent month, not getting acute as well as making an effort to bluff our way in to a prelim ... you can't perform that in finals." Scott acknowledged he was still struggling with the choice to participate in Stewart or otherwise after he grabbed a hamstring complaint in his last day trip prior to sickness tipped the ranges." He possessed an excellent number of full weeks of instruction as well as our experts were definitely confident that he would certainly correct," the coach stated." He resided in total training for a treatment on Monday, our company presumed he was visiting be right, yet ... our company were actually still evaluating that up." At that point he started to come down with a little bit of an influenza, at that point due to the time he awakened he was actually crook sufficient that he would not play, so it only sort of decided for him and us a little bit less complicated." However, hand on center, our experts were actually leaning towards certainly not playing him and also our experts would certainly helped make the conventional phone call along with De Koning as well." Stewart was actually currently dashing versus the clock to use Thursday night before coming down with an illness (Photograph by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images) Resource: Getty ImagesThe transfer to not participate in Stewart additionally would certainly possess tossed aspects of Slot Adelaide's plan the window too, having actually properly sent pressure onward Jed McEntee to Stewart in their last three conferences along with frustrating success.Beyond the defensive duo nevertheless, Tom Hawkins (foot) and Web cam Guthrie (Achilles) are going to play in the VFL on Saturday early morning as they seek to press their insurance claims after lengthy unemployments." Our planning during was actually for all of them to play recently so our team'll advance keeping that," Scott added." Our company'll keep optimistic, keep broad-minded, maintain all the options on the table, and make good choices in the instant." I'll avoid the temptation to forecast too much I might sit listed below and also hypothesize, as well as it wouldn't assist any individual." Even with the absence of Hawkins up onward against the Power, the Cats' foremost line shone as intense as any kind of this season - and having actually booted 18 behinds for the evening, might have incredibly been ever better.Superstars Jeremy Cameron and also Tyson Stengle ended up the evening along with four objectives each, while Gryan Miers as well as Shaun Mannagh each booted 3 majors. Tom Stewart eliminated of Cats v Port|02:08 Hawkins' replacement Shannon Neale kicked 2.2 coming from his nine fingertips as well as 9 proofs, creating the approaching selection get in touch with that to decide on in pair of weeks time (pending Hawkins' health and fitness) much more fascinating by the week.Asked if he want to find an initial last played in Geelong, certainly not the MCG where it are going to certainly be actually booked, Scott answered along with a troublesome gleam in his eye." I think my position has actually always been actually that you should play your home activities everywhere you really want," he confessed." However the AFL run the finals series and also they've got to work out whether that's the ideal thing or otherwise, and they're stabilizing a whole lot of factors that I don't consider that a lot." They've received the great of the activity face of mind plus all I love is actually the Pussy-cats so it is actually reasonable that we will disagree when our experts possess those different viewpoints." Yet a prelim last (in Geelong)? Why not? It's a pretty good coliseum." What I will certainly point out is actually prelim finals will be actually dipped into some factor at the Gold Coast, or at Giants Stadium, or Hobart.".