Dashing midfielder Max Holmes's latest hamstring injury proved a pivotal moment in Geelong's preliminary final loss to the Brisbane Lions, says coach Chris Scott.
Holmes was spared the heartbreaking possibility of being left out of a grand final team for a second time, after missing the 2022 premiership, when the Cats slipped to a dramatic 10-point defeat on Saturday evening.
He appeared to tweak his left hamstring when he slipped attempting to kick the ball off the ground in the third quarter at the MCG.
Holmes spent more than 15 minutes on the bench receiving treatment, amid Brisbane's third-quarter fightback from a 25-point deficit.
Early in the final quarter, a proppy Holmes got a kick away then turned to the bench and signalled he could not continue.
The Lions led by a point when Holmes, who had 20 disposals and had been among Geelong's better players, was quickly substituted out for Mitch Duncan.
When asked if his absence proved pivotal, Scott said "Probably.
"But that's a reflection of how good a player he is I think, more than the reshuffle through our midfield.
"I thought he was dominating the game, wasn't he? So yeah, it hurt a bit. And again, glass half-full, I'm looking forward to the next 10 years of Max Holmes playing in the hoops.
"So yeah, it stings a bit at the moment. And there were others as well."
Holmes was substituted out of the 2022 preliminary final with a hamstring issue and although he passed fitness tests, Scott opted not to risk him in that year's decider against Sydney.
He had the bittersweet experience of watching his teammates become premiership players, but re-signed on a four-year deal this year and became one of Geelong's best midfielders.
Scott admitted it had been disruptive this time not knowing whether or not to rule Holmes out of the game initially.
"It's a little bit difficult to explain," Scott said.
"Obviously that hasn't been our focus in the immediate aftermath and we tend to not ask for great detail when it comes to the communication around injured players.
"Now, I don't think it's serious, necessarily, but there was enough uncertainty there for him to be off the ground for a long period of time and certainly enough uncertainty for us to not make our sub.
"It was certainly a frustrating period there for everyone but in terms of a full and complete explanation, I can't really give you one at the moment other than to say he was concerned about it and it took a bit of time to work through."
