GEELONG has already started planning its approach to the finals week off, with Chris Scott guaranteeing he won't blame the post-round 23 bye if his team falls in their looming preliminary final. 

The Cats earned direct passage to a preliminary final on Friday night with a thrilling two-point win over Hawthorn at the MCG, giving them a week off to prepare in what is considered the ideal preparation. 

But the bye ahead of this year's finals series means the qualifying final will be the Cats’ only match in a 26-day period following round 23.

Scott admitted it was uncharted territory, but said his team would be ready after notching their first finals win since 2013 in fine fashion.

"It is (uncharted territory), but we'd rather have it than not," Scott said of the direct path to a preliminary final. 

"We've put some thought into it without getting ahead of ourselves.

"We think we've put together a pretty good plan, and I guarantee you whatever happens preliminary final night I won't sit here and say it's the round 23 bye that killed us. We'll be ready." 

Friday night's win was another chapter in the Cats' great modern rivalry against Hawthorn, with Scott declaring, "That's almost as good as footy gets, isn't it". 

The match saw the lead change seven times in the second half, with Geelong taking the lead in the dying minutes through a Josh Caddy goal that was set up by captain Joel Selwood's hardness in the midfield. 

The contrasting game styles - with Geelong winning the contested ball by 52 and Hawthorn winning the uncontested ball by 72 – made for an intriguing battle.

"The game was just typical of a final. It was a contrast of styles, but really fierce," Scott said.

"It was just the team that could take their moment when it counted that would prevail.

"I won't speak for them, but I thought they played the game they wanted to for big chunks of the game.

"We were better in the contest, but I think they're ranked 18th in contested ball. It's just not their style."

Scott praised his captain Selwood (26 possessions, seven clearances and a goal) and star midfielder Patrick Dangerfield (35, eight and six inside 50s), who were both made to earn every touch. 

"I felt in the last three quarters they had to work into the game … they certainly didn't have it on their terms the whole night," he said. 

"It wasn't (Dangerfield's) best game necessarily, and it wasn't perfect by any stretch, but gee he's hard to stop completely.

"He leads by example, so some of our young players are starting to pick up a few of his tricks … he's just a competitor, he loves the moment."

Geelong had six players in their first final on Friday night, with Sam Menegola (23 possessions) and Rhys Stanley (11 possessions and 11 hit-outs) both standing up at key moments.

The others were Josh Cowan, Jake Kolodjashnij, Tom Ruggles and Zac Smith, and all "played their part, which is what we asked for", Scott said.

"They hadn't really experienced that and at the very least they come away now thinking, 'OK, that's what finals are about'," the coach said.