Geelong star Max Holmes admits missing 2022 grand final hurt relationship with coach Chris Scott

Max Holmes didn't have much of a relationship with Chris Scott when he was left out of Geelong's grand-final team three years ago.

The huge selection call, based on a minor hamstring strain Holmes sustained in the preliminary final, dominated the build-up to the 2022 AFL decider.

It ultimately cost the then 20-year-old a premiership in his second season, and what little bond he had with Scott needed repairing.

"With the same injury this week I'd play," Holmes said ahead of Saturday's grand final against the Brisbane Lions.

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"I was a younger player who wasn't as influential in the team, and at the time I was pissed with Scotty.

"Now I can understand why he did what he did, and I respect that decision.

"But today I would've played, so it was very close and it was just a matter of where I was at at the time."

A series of coffee meetings with Scott over the 2023 pre-season allowed the coach and his player to connect, and helped set Holmes on the path to becoming a star.

"We talked about everything and nothing at the same time and formed a relationship," Holmes said.

"To an extent, I didn't have much of a relationship with Scotty at that stage anyway.

"But now I feel like we're quite close together and we've got a good relationship despite what's happened.

"It's all in the past and, as I said, I understand the decision now. At the time you don't, but it makes sense to me and there's no judgement on it.

"Hopefully we can just get one (premiership) this week and put it in the past."

Fellow Geelong star Tom Stewart is enduring a similar experience this time around, ruled out of the grand final under concussion protocols.

The five-time All-Australian has leant on Holmes for advice on how he handled missing the biggest game of the year through injury.

"I said I cried a lot," Holmes said.

"People work through things in different ways, and I don't necessarily think I handled it as well as I possibly could have.

"But we've spoken a little bit and I'm shattered for him, but he'll be all right in the end and we'll go again for him."

Holmes is an advocate for a week off before the grand final, and insists he would have been cleared to play in 2022 with an extra seven days to prepare.

The week off is increasingly likely to be introduced next season as new AFL football boss Greg Swann ushers through a series of changes.

If it was in place this year, it would have given Stewart enough time to pass concussion protocols and potentially play against Brisbane.

Instead the 32-year-old's absence is a huge blow to the Cats as they seek to repeat their qualifying-final feat of toppling the Lions.

"It absolutely calls for a pre-grand final bye, and in terms of the team it does hurt the structure a little bit," Holmes said of Stewart's concussion.

"But Zach Guthrie can really step up to the plate when called upon, and our backline has been amazing this finals series and most of this year.

"I'm shattered for him (Stewart) and he's a big loss, but I think we can handle it."

ABC will live-blog the AFL grand final between Geelong and Brisbane this Saturday afternoon, with the game scheduled to start at 2:30pm AEST.

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