.Geelong's focus on a powerful finals initiative, certainly not beating Slot Adelaide in any way expenses, settled handsomely after the Cats pranced into a preliminary last without principals Tom Stewart and also Sam De Koning.Geelong's premiership tilt was reinforced considerably on Thursday night after Chris Scott went for a conventional approach with the superstar duo and his side still rolled to an 84-point win over the disappointing Power.Stewart (hamstring/illness) and also De Koning (knee) will now possess precious extra opportunity to get ready for the 9th preliminary final of Scott's embellished 14-season tenure.Watch the greatest coverage of the 2024 AFL finals, with expert analysis and also every activity till the Grand Final cope with no ad-breaks in the course of play, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Begin your complimentary test today > Finals Week 1IMAGINE WHAT YOU MIGHT BE GETTING RATHER. For Free as well as private support call 1800u00a0858u00a0858 or explore gamblinghelponline.org.au.Jezza opens up finals series with astonishment!|00:35 PET CATS GAMER SCORES:' Off the graphes' youthful weapon packs skipping star space as good deal pick-ups dazzling' SOME OF THE BEST': Celebrity Cat STUNS Portress with fanatic show ... yet it won't gain target 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 experts took a danger along with those guys and also it backfired it definitely would not have been actually difficult, yet the level of problem would certainly've skyrocketed," Scott explained." The program was actually to become conservative with those guys and perhaps still gain the activity, so our team're thinking excellent concerning that choice right now, but our experts are actually certainly not advancing of ourselves.Geelong have actually registered their 2 most significant triumphes of the 2024 period in back-t0-back activities, fresh off their 93-point get West Shore that finished their home-and-away season on a high.But as Scott has observed original previously this time against the likes of Carlton and also Gold Coast, it does not take much to become on the wrong end of a walloping like what they handed Slot Adelaide on Thursday evening. "Our team've seen it through the year with the swings through the period ... you are actually a bit of an off night from being terribly trumped," Scott continued." Our experts maintain finding that to ensure will certainly maintain our feet on the ground." They are actually excellent examples of when you participate in effectively you go, 'Oh, fantastic choice' as well as if our experts will possess played improperly it would certainly have been about, 'What would certainly possess happened if our experts 'd had Stewart and De Koning?'" Yet our emphasis gets on possessing a good month, certainly not acquiring acute and attempting to bluff our way right into a prelim ... you can't carry out that in finals." Scott confessed he was still having a hard time the selection to participate in Stewart or not after he picked up a hamstring criticism in his final outing prior to sickness hinted the scales." He possessed a really good couple of full weeks of training as well as we were actually actually positive that he would certainly correct," the train mentioned." He was in complete training for a treatment on Monday, we thought he was actually mosting likely to correct, however ... our team were still analyzing that up." At that point he began to find down with a little a flu, then by the time he woke up he was burglar enough that he wouldn't play, so it simply kind of made the decision for him as well as our team a bit simpler." Yet, palm on heart, our experts were pitching in the direction of certainly not playing him as well as we would certainly produced the conservative call with De Koning at the same time." Stewart was already racing against the time clock to use Thursday evening just before catching an ailment (Picture through Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images) Resource: Getty ImagesThe transfer to certainly not play Stewart also would possess tossed factors of Slot Adelaide's plan out the home window too, having properly delivered stress onward Jed McEntee to Stewart in their final 3 meetings along with overwhelming success.Beyond the protective duo nonetheless, Tom Hawkins (foot) and also Camera Guthrie (Achilles) will play in the VFL on Sunday early morning as they attempt to drive their claims after long layoffs." Our program all along was actually for all of them to play this week so our company'll push on with that," Scott incorporated." Our team'll remain optimistic, keep unbiased, always keep all the choices on the table, as well as make great decisions in the moment." I'll stand up to the temptation to anticipate excessive I can sit listed below and also guess, as well as it would not help anybody." Despite the lack of Hawkins up onward versus the Energy, the Pussy-cats' forward line shone as vivid as any kind of this season - and having booted 18 behinds for the night, can possess amazingly been ever better.Superstars Jeremy Cameron and also Tyson Stengle ended up the evening along with 4 goals apiece, while Gryan Miers as well as Shaun Mannagh each booted 3 majors. Tom Stewart ruled out of Felines v Slot|02:08 Hawkins' substitute Shannon Neale kicked 2.2 from his 9 disposals and also 9 symbols, creating the moving toward assortment get in touch with who to select in pair of full weeks opportunity (hanging Hawkins' physical fitness) much more intriguing due to the week.Asked if he would like to see an initial final played in Geelong, certainly not the MCG where it are going to definitely be set up, Scott replied along with a troublesome gleam in his eye." I believe my placement has actually always been actually that you need to play your home games everywhere you wish," he confessed." But the AFL manage the finals series and they've come to exercise whether that's the appropriate thing or otherwise, as well as they are actually harmonizing a great deal of traits that I do not think about that much." They've obtained the really good of the activity front of mind plus all I care about is the Kitties so it's sensible that our company would certainly disagree when we possess those different perspectives." However a prelim final (in Geelong)? Why not? It is actually a good stadium." What I will certainly claim is actually prelim finals will definitely be played at some aspect at the Gold Shoreline, or at Giants Stadium, or even Hobart.".