All Australian defender Tom Stewart expects many of Melbourne's September debutants to be extremely nervous as they lace up for their first taste of finals.

But that's not an attempt at gamesmanship leading up to Friday night's elimination final, instead just a frank assessment of where he sat this time last year in the same position.

"Last year I put on a brave face and said I was embracing it and saying I wasn't nervous when I was absolutely packing my dacks," Stewart said.

The other emotion the Demons, after 12 years away from finals, will be feeling is keen anticipation.

"They'll be excited. They've got a lot of blokes around a similar age bracket all to come through together," he said.

"And there's the fact the club hasn't played finals for a long time.

"But they'll be in a similar boat.

"They will put on a brave face and say they're really excited, but there will be plenty of nerves in their camp as well."

Stewart has earned the right to look back fondly on where he's come from after an outstanding 2018.

Last season, Stewart was plucked from Geelong Football League club South Barwon and thrown into Geelong's backline as a 24-year-old.

He played every game in 2017 apart from an enforced three-week absence with an eye injury, helping the Cats to second place.

Like many of his teammates, he lowered his colours in a week-one finals loss to eventual premiers Richmond, with a particularly embarrassing third-quarter stumble against Dustin Martin an unfortunate low point.

Stewart has responded in stunning fashion, earning him a place in the AFL's best 22 in just his second season of senior football.

While Stewart has prospered in 2018, his club has gone backwards.

Geelong slipped to eighth this season, meaning Friday night's final is do or die.

It's a prospect Stewart is embracing.

"It's nice to not have that comfort blanket there. To know you have to play your best football on the night," he said.

"I quite enjoy that ... you shouldn't be waiting for next week or the next game."

Stewart said the eighth-placed finish didn't change the Cats' ambitions in September.

"We want to win the flag. It's as simple as that," he said. "There's no point saying, 'Oh, we finished eighth, if we scrape into a semi or a prelim that's a win for us'.

"That's not why we play footy. We play to win premierships. Anything short of that will be disappointing."