Geelong coach Mark Thompson believes that everything is falling into place for his team which is now one step away from its second premiership in three seasons following Saturday night's emphatic preliminary final victory over Collingwood.

The authority of the performance and the 73-point margin adds weight to the view that there was method in Thompson's tinkering over the second-half of the season.

The Cats were criticised in some quarters for flirting with their form, but the team would appear to be peaking at precisely the right time which was always Thompson's principal aim.

"Our guys tonight were probably back to some of their best footy that they've played in a long time, especially in that third quarter," Thompson said.

"I think, in some part, we may have intimidated the Collingwood players a little bit in that third period and that helped set up that flow of goals that occurred."

Thompson paid special tribute to Gary Ablett who vied with Paul Chapman for best-afield honours after a slow start.

The Brownlow Medal favourite finished with 34 disposals and two goals and looked right at ease on a surface made treacherous by a heavy pre-match downpour.

"He was outstanding," Thompson said.

"The thing about wet weather is sometimes you worry about the game being closer and messier, but it's amazing how the good players are still good players in the wet and sometimes become better players.

"He handled it outstandingly well."

Asked for his thoughts on Ablett's Brownlow chances, Thompson said: "I don't know whether he's due or not, you would hope so".

"Even though it's a great personal award, he's probably got bigger things to worry about."

"I think if you had a choice between the two you would certainly take the premiership medal - although he would probably like both."

Thompson said the return to fitness of Chapman (chronic hamstrings), Brad Ottens (knee) and Steve Johnson following arthroscopic hip surgery had been a major factor in the club's rediscovery of its best form.

"We did have some severe problems in round 18, 19, 20 but I think that since then we've just done a lot right as far as the medical fitness and making brave decisions to play people at the right times," he said.

"Credit to all the staff at the club to get those decisions right because they certainly helped us be a better team and they all played pretty well tonight."

Thompson said it was appropriate that the two standout teams of 2009 - Geelong and St Kilda - had won the right to contest the grand final.

"We match up really well, we have a long rivalry, they're filled with talented players and so are we, they are a big, strong-bodied team, they play a physical game and so do we," Thompson said.

"As a form guide, I think it's very even, it can go either way."

"They should respect us and we certainly respect them."

Thompson said his players were stronger and wiser from their six-point loss to the Saints in the epic Round 14 encounter at Etihad Stadium.

"They had this zone thing that they do and I thought that we spoke about it a lot trying to work our way through it, and probably in the end it might have spooked our players a little bit," he said.

"We ended up getting through it that day, but at the start we made some horrendous blues and we gave the ball straight back to St Kilda ... but you would hope that wouldn't happen (again) and we've learned from that."

Thompson nominated small forward Mathew Stokes, who missed the preliminary final because of groin soreness, as the leading contender for inclusion next Saturday.

"'Stokesy' is probably the one that deserves it," he said.

"We think he's done the really selfless thing for the team and if he is right to play then he probably deserves to get a game, so there is one issue there."

"Ryan Gamble, Simon Hogan and (Shane) Mumford have all made huge contributions during the year, but unless someone goes down ill or has back spasms it will probably be pretty unlikely they will play."