.Geelong's focus on a tough finals project, not trumping Port Adelaide in any way prices, settled handsomely after the Cats skipped into an initial final without key players Tom Stewart as well as Sam De Koning.Geelong's premiership tilt was actually enhanced dramatically on Thursday night after Chris Scott went for a conservative strategy along with the star duo as well as his side still rolled to an 84-point win over the unsatisfactory Power.Stewart (hamstring/illness) and De Koning (knee) will certainly right now possess precious extra time to plan for the ninth preliminary ultimate of Scott's decorated 14-season tenure.Watch the greatest coverage of the 2024 AFL finals, with expert study and every game until the Grand Final LIVE with no ad-breaks during the course of play, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Beginning your free test today > Finals Full week 1IMAGINE WHAT YOU MAY BE PURCHASING RATHER. Completely free as well as personal help ring 1800u00a0858u00a0858 or see gamblinghelponline.org.au.Jezza opens up finals set along with astonishment!|00:35 FELINES PLAYER SCORES:' Off the graphes' younger weapon loads missing out on celebrity void as bargain pick-ups brilliant' AMONG THE MOST EFFECTIVE': Super Star Feline STUNS Portress with fanatic act ... but it won't succeed goal of the yearSpeaking post-game at the Adelaide Oval, Scott rightly backed in play the long activity along with 2 of his essential defenders. "If our experts took a risk along with those people and also it backfired it definitely would not have actually been actually difficult, but the degree of trouble will've gone through the roof," Scott clarified." The strategy was actually to become conservative along with those people and ideally still win the activity, so our company're experiencing really good regarding that decision right now, yet we're not thriving of ourselves.Geelong have actually registered their two biggest wins of the 2024 time in back-t0-back video games, fresh off their 93-point get West Shoreline that completed their home-and-away season on a high.But as Scott has found original earlier this season versus the similarity Carlton and Gold Coast, it does not take a lot to become on the wrong end of a walloping like what they handed Port Adelaide on Thursday evening. "Our team have actually persevered the year with the swings by means of the period ... you are actually a bit of an off evening from being terribly defeated," Scott carried on." Our company always keep finding that so that will certainly keep our feet on the ground." They're ideal instances of when you play properly you go, 'Oh, fantastic selection' and if we will have played improperly it would possess concerned, 'What would've occurred if our experts 'd had Stewart and De Koning?'" However our focus gets on possessing an excellent month, certainly not obtaining acute and also making an effort to bluff our way in to a prelim ... you can't carry out that in finals." Scott accepted he was actually still having a hard time the selection to play Stewart or not after he picked up a hamstring grievance in his final getaway prior to sickness hinted the scales." He possessed a great number of full weeks of training and also our company were actually truly optimistic that he will correct," the instructor pointed out." He was in full training for a session on Monday, we assumed he was mosting likely to be right, however ... our company were still analyzing that up." Then he started to find down with a little bit of an influenza, at that point due to the time he got out of bed he was criminal enough that he would not play, so it only type of decided for him and also our team a little bit less complicated." But, hand on soul, our team were actually pitching in the direction of certainly not playing him and also our experts would certainly helped make the conventional phone call along with De Koning also." Stewart was already competing versus the time clock to play on Thursday evening prior to contracting a sickness (Image by Michael Willson/AFL Photos through Getty Images) Source: Getty ImagesThe relocate to certainly not play Stewart also would certainly possess thrown factors of Slot Adelaide's plan the home window too, having actually successfully delivered pressure onward Jed McEntee to Stewart in their final 3 appointments with difficult success.Beyond the protective duo nevertheless, Tom Hawkins (feet) and also Webcam Guthrie (Achilles) will play in the VFL on Saturday early morning as they seek to push their claims after long unemployments." Our strategy all along was for all of them to play today so we'll push on with that," Scott added." Our team'll stay optimistic, stay unbiased, maintain all the possibilities on the dining table, and make good selections in the instant." I'll stand up to the urge to anticipate excessive I could rest right here and also suppose, and it definitely would not help anyone." Despite the lack of Hawkins up forward versus the Power, the Pet cats' foremost line shone as bright as any this period - as well as having actually booted 18 behinds for the night, might have extremely been ever better.Superstars Jeremy Cameron and Tyson Stengle completed the night with four targets apiece, while Gryan Miers and Shaun Mannagh each kicked three majors. Tom Stewart ruled out of Pussy-cats v Slot|02:08 Hawkins' substitute Shannon Neale booted 2.2 from his 9 disposals and also 9 symbols, creating the coming close to choice call who to select in two weeks opportunity (hanging Hawkins' exercise) more intriguing due to the week.Asked if he wish to view a preliminary ultimate played in Geelong, certainly not the MCG where it are going to surely be booked, Scott answered with a naughty shimmer in his eye." I presume my placement has actually regularly been actually that you should play your home video games anywhere you prefer," he admitted." Yet the AFL operate the finals series as well as they have actually reached exercise whether that is actually the ideal point or otherwise, and they are actually balancing a whole lot of traits that I don't consider that much." They have actually obtained the good of the activity face of mind and all I love is actually the Pussy-cats so it is actually rational that we would disagree when our company have those different perspectives." But a prelim last (in Geelong)? Why not? It's a good arena." What I am going to state is actually prelim finals will be actually played at some factor at the Gold Shoreline, or at Giants Stadium, or Hobart.".