Geelong coach Chris Scott was pleased with how his side handled a number of "curveballs" which threatened to derail his side, particularly with the 11th-hour withdrawal of Patrick Dangerfield with calf tightness.

"I thought we were challenged through the early period of the game," Scott said.

"I said pre-game that we don't need any more of a reminder of what St Kilda can bring than the last time we played them, and we played okay for three quarters and they really got hold of us in a 20-minute period. 

"At times tonight when they challenged us we were sort of better prepared to handle those situations. Probably the other thing was there, we had a bit of uncertainty during the week and that continued with Dangerfield coming out of the warm-up. 

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"Those sorts of things can throw teams and coaching groups for that matter. It was another example, we've had quite a few over the last few months where curveballs have been thrown our way and we've been able to maintain our composure."

Scott said Dangerfield's withdrawal was merely a precaution after he "felt some awareness" during the Cats' pre-game warm-up, and doesn't believe he will require scans despite feeling the tightness in the same calf he injured back in round 10.

"The feedback I've got from him and the medical staff is that he's fine," Scott said.

"He felt some awareness in the warm-up and he's, I think he used this language that you know, he in the past he has pushed through these things. Thinking that he'd be fine but maybe if there's a one percent chance that he might do some damage, he wasn't prepared to take it. 

"So it seemed a logical call. We would have said the same thing if we had lost the game."