.Geelong's pay attention to a tough finals campaign, not trumping Port Adelaide in any way expenses, settled handsomely after the Cats romped into a preparatory final without principals Tom Stewart and also Sam De Koning.Geelong's premiership tilt was reinforced considerably on Thursday evening after Chris Scott went for a conventional approach with the superstar duo and his edge still roared to an 84-point sway the unsatisfying Power.Stewart (hamstring/illness) as well as De Koning (leg) are going to right now possess valuable extra time to organize the nine initial final of Scott's embellished 14-season tenure.Watch the very best coverage of the 2024 AFL finals, along with specialist analysis and also every activity till the Grand Final LIVE with no ad-breaks in the course of play, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free test today > Finals Full week 1IMAGINE WHAT YOU CAN BE BUYING AS AN ALTERNATIVE. For Free as well as confidential support telephone call 1800u00a0858u00a0858 or go to gamblinghelponline.org.au.Jezza opens finals series along with astonishment!|00:35 CATS PLAYER RATINGS:' Off the graphes' youthful gun fills up overlooking celebrity space as bargain pick-ups fantastic' ONE OF THE MOST IDEAL': Superstar Pussy-cat STUNS Portress with freak show ... however it won't gain target of the yearSpeaking post-game at the Adelaide Oval, Scott appropriately supported in play the lengthy activity with 2 of his essential defenders. "If our experts took a danger along with those people as well as it backfired it wouldn't have actually been difficult, yet the degree of problem would possess risen," Scott described." The strategy was to be conventional along with those guys and perhaps still win the video game, so our experts are actually thinking good concerning that decision right now, yet our team're not progressing of ourselves.Geelong have enrolled their two largest wins of the 2024 season in back-t0-back video games, new off their 93-point sway West Shore that completed their home-and-away season on a high.But as Scott has seen first-hand previously this period against the likes of Carlton and also Gold Coast, it does not take much to become on the incorrect end of a drubbing like what they handed Slot Adelaide on Thursday night. "Our team've seen it through the year with the swings through the season ... you are actually a bit of an off evening coming from being actually horribly beaten," Scott carried on." Our company maintain seeing that so that will definitely keep our feets on the ground." They are actually perfect instances of when you play well you go, 'Oh, terrific decision' and if our team 'd possess played badly it would certainly possess had to do with, 'What would possess taken place if our company would certainly had Stewart as well as De Koning?'" However our emphasis gets on possessing an excellent month, not obtaining desperate as well as trying to bluff our way into a prelim ... you can't do that in finals." Scott acknowledged he was actually still battling with the choice to play Stewart or not after he picked up a hamstring issue in his last getaway before ailment hinted the ranges." He had a great couple of full weeks of training as well as our company were truly positive that he would be right," the instructor claimed." He was in complete instruction for a session on Monday, we thought he was actually visiting be right, but ... our team were actually still weighing that up." After that he began ahead down with a little bit of a flu, after that due to the opportunity he got out of bed he was criminal good enough that he definitely would not play, so it simply type of decided for him as well as our team a bit simpler." However, hand on soul, we were actually pitching towards certainly not playing him as well as we would certainly made the conservative call with De Koning too." Stewart was presently dashing versus the time clock to play on Thursday night before coming down with an ailment (Photo through Michael Willson/AFL Photos by means of Getty Images) Source: Getty ImagesThe transfer to certainly not play Stewart additionally would possess thrown elements of Port Adelaide's plan out the window too, having actually efficiently delivered stress ahead Jed McEntee to Stewart in their final 3 appointments with frustrating success.Beyond the defensive duo nonetheless, Tom Hawkins (foot) and also Web cam Guthrie (Achilles) will certainly play in the VFL on Sunday early morning as they attempt to push their insurance claims after long discharges." Our strategy the whole time was actually for all of them to play this week so we'll advance with that," Scott added." We'll remain optimistic, stay open-minded, maintain all the possibilities on the table, and make great decisions in the instant." I'll resist the seduction to forecast a lot of I can rest here as well as speculate, and also it wouldn't assist anyone." In spite of the lack of Hawkins up ahead versus the Power, the Felines' forward line shone as vivid as any sort of this season - and having kicked 18 behinds for the evening, could have extremely been actually ever before better.Superstars Jeremy Cameron and also Tyson Stengle finished the evening along with four targets apiece, while Gryan Miers and Shaun Mannagh each kicked 3 majors. Tom Stewart dismissed of Pussy-cats v Port|02:08 Hawkins' replacement Shannon Neale booted 2.2 coming from his nine disposals as well as 9 marks, creating the moving toward assortment call that to choose in two full weeks opportunity (hanging Hawkins' fitness) extra interesting by the week.Asked if he want to see a preparatory ultimate played in Geelong, certainly not the MCG where it are going to certainly be actually planned, Scott answered with an insidious shimmer in his eye." I think my posture has actually regularly been actually that you need to play your home video games everywhere you yearn for," he admitted." However the AFL run the finals series and also they've reached exercise whether that is actually the correct factor or otherwise, and also they're balancing a whole lot of factors that I do not think of that a lot." They have actually received the excellent of the activity front of thoughts plus all I love is actually the Pussy-cats so it is actually sensible that our team would certainly disagree when we have those different point of views." Yet a prelim ultimate (in Geelong)? Why not? It is actually a decent coliseum." What I am going to point out is prelim finals will be played at some factor at the Gold Coastline, or at Giants Coliseum, or Hobart.".