There were plenty of impressive performances in Geelong’s Qualifying Final triumph, but perhaps the pick of the bunch was the Cats young core rising to the occasion on the big stage.

Seven Cats made their AFL Finals debut against the Power with all having a significant impact, including the likes of Shaun Mannagh (23 disposals, three goals) and Jack Bowes (18 disposals, two goals).

One of those players making his inaugural postseason appearance was Ollie Henry, who recorded seven score involvements and kicked a goal in the Cats big win.

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Ollie Henry Press Conference | Finals Week 2

Ollie Henry spoke to media following Geelong's Qualifying Final victory against Port Adelaide. Proudly Presented by Ford

Henry touched on the week leading into the game, noting how some experienced heads helped the young Cats prepare for their first Finals game.

“Going into my first ever Final, it was definitely a different experience because you haven't been in that situation before and don't know what exactly to expect,” Henry said.

“Tom Stewart held an open conversation with us telling us what to expect, what we can bring individually and how we can control that week which was pretty big for us.

“He spoke to the young core that we have got and we made it a conversation instead of a lecture, the young players speaking about how they are feeling and what they are thinking.

“It is good to see the way things are being shaped here, it makes everyone feel like we are in it together.”

2024 has been a season full of incredible storylines for Geelong, who returned to the Finals after missing out last year and now sit just one win away from the biggest stage of all.

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Game Film Qualifying Final | Big Win On The Road

Watch back at some of the behind the scenes of Thursday nights Qualifying Final victory against Port Adelaide

For Ollie Henry it has been another consistent campaign in his second year with the Cats, booting 33 goals for the season and hitting the scoreboard in 18 different games.

Henry said he tried to work on the things he could control this year, letting the results take care of themselves.

“I tried to narrow my focus down to things that I could control, that is a week by week thing,” Henry said.

“Expectations were fluid and that was a good thing I think, now getting into a good rhythm of things you can expect more.

“That is why we have started to play some of our best footy towards the end of the year, you don't know what to expect each week but you can control your own mentality and output.”