.Geelong's concentrate on a sturdy finals campaign, certainly not defeating Port Adelaide in any way costs, paid handsomely after the Cats romped in to a preliminary ultimate without key players Tom Stewart and also Sam De Koning.Geelong's premiership tilt was boosted dramatically on Thursday evening after Chris Scott selected a conservative strategy with the star duo and his edge still rolled to an 84-point draw the unsatisfying Power.Stewart (hamstring/illness) and De Koning (knee) will definitely right now have valuable added time to plan for the ninth initial ultimate of Scott's embellished 14-season tenure.Watch the most ideal insurance coverage of the 2024 AFL finals, along with expert review as well as every game up until the Grand Final cope with no ad-breaks during the course of play, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Beginning your cost-free trial today > Finals Week 1IMAGINE WHAT YOU MAY BE ACQUIRING RATHER. Free of cost as well as classified support call 1800u00a0858u00a0858 or even explore gamblinghelponline.org.au.Jezza opens finals series along with astonishment!|00:35 KITTIES PLAYER SCORES:' Off the graphes' young gun fills missing celebrity gap as discount pick-ups great' AMONG THE VERY BEST': Superstar Cat STUNS Portress along with addict show ... but it won't win target of the yearSpeaking post-game at the Adelaide Oval, Scott rightly supported in play the long game with two of his essential protectors. "If we took a threat with those people and it backfired it wouldn't have actually been difficult, yet the level of difficulty would certainly possess gone through the roof," Scott explained." The strategy was actually to be traditional with those fellas and perhaps still win the activity, so we are actually believing really good concerning that selection currently, but our team are actually certainly not being successful of ourselves.Geelong have actually enrolled their pair of biggest wins of the 2024 time in back-t0-back video games, new off their 93-point sway West Coastline that finished their home-and-away time on a high.But as Scott has seen original earlier this time versus the likes of Carlton and also Gold Coast, it doesn't take a lot to become on the wrong end of a drubbing like what they handed Slot Adelaide on Thursday evening. "We've persevered the year with the swings by means of the time ... you are actually a little bit of an off evening coming from being actually extremely trumped," Scott continued." Our team maintain seeing that to ensure will keep our feets on the ground." They're excellent examples of when you play properly you go, 'Oh, great decision' as well as if our company will possess participated in inadequately it would certainly possess been about, 'What will possess occurred if we 'd possessed Stewart as well as De Koning?'" But our focus performs possessing an excellent month, not obtaining desperate and also attempting to bluff our means in to a prelim ... you can not do that in finals." Scott accepted he was actually still fighting with the decision to play Stewart or otherwise after he picked up a hamstring issue in his final day trip prior to illness tipped the ranges." He possessed a great number of weeks of instruction and we were actually actually confident that he would certainly be right," the trainer claimed." He remained in full instruction for a session on Monday, our company assumed he was visiting correct, however ... our experts were actually still evaluating that up." Then he started ahead down with a bit of an influenza, then due to the time he woke up he was scoundrel sufficient that he definitely would not play, so it only sort of decided for him as well as our team a bit easier." However, palm on soul, our company were bending towards not playing him and also we will produced the traditional phone call along with De Koning too." Stewart was actually currently dashing against the time clock to use Thursday evening before falling victim to a disease (Picture through Michael Willson/AFL Photos through Getty Images) Resource: Getty ImagesThe relocate to not participate in Stewart additionally would certainly possess thrown elements of Port Adelaide's plan out the window as well, having actually efficiently sent out stress forward Jed McEntee to Stewart in their final 3 conferences with mind-boggling success.Beyond the defensive duo nonetheless, Tom Hawkins (feet) as well as Camera Guthrie (Achilles) will certainly play in the VFL on Saturday early morning as they attempt to press their insurance claims after lengthy layoffs." Our strategy during was actually for all of them to play this week so we'll advance with that said," Scott included." Our company'll stay positive, keep unbiased, maintain all the options on the table, and also make great decisions in the second." I'll avoid the urge to anticipate excessive I can sit right here as well as suppose, as well as it would not aid anyone." Despite the absence of Hawkins up forward versus the Power, the Pussy-cats' foremost line shone as intense as any type of this period - as well as having booted 18 behinds for the evening, can have extremely been ever before better.Superstars Jeremy Cameron and also Tyson Stengle finished the night along with 4 goals apiece, while Gryan Miers as well as Shaun Mannagh each booted three majors. Tom Stewart eliminated of Pussy-cats v Port|02:08 Hawkins' replacement Shannon Neale kicked 2.2 from his 9 fingertips as well as nine proofs, making the coming close to choice call on who to pick in pair of weeks time (hanging Hawkins' exercise) even more fascinating due to the week.Asked if he want to observe an initial final played in Geelong, not the MCG where it are going to surely be actually scheduled, Scott responded with a wicked gleam in his eye." I presume my setting has always been actually that you need to play your home video games anywhere you really want," he admitted." However the AFL operate the finals collection and they have actually got to work out whether that's the appropriate thing or not, as well as they're balancing a lot of things that I don't consider that much." They've obtained the great of the activity face of thoughts plus all I love is actually the Pussy-cats so it is actually reasonable that we will disagree when our experts have those different perspectives." Yet a prelim final (in Geelong)? Why certainly not? It's a good arena." What I am going to point out is actually prelim finals are going to be played at some point at the Gold Shoreline, or even at Giants Coliseum, or Hobart.".