Geelong coach Mark Thompson has left none of his players in any doubt that the club won't accept another slow start in Friday night's AFL semi-final against Fremantle.

For the first time in their dominant era that began in 2007, Geelong will not get the luxury of a week off in the finals after going down by four points to St Kilda in the qualifying final last Friday.

The Cats trailed by as much as 33 points early in the third term before belatedly making a charge that ended when Cameron Ling's "goal" with 61 seconds remaining was disallowed for a controversial off-the-ball free kick from Cameron Mooney.

"We can't get to a big game, a final, and have so many of our good players play like they did in the first half on Friday night - that's a given," Thompson said on Monday.

"I've tried to work it out, I've analysed it, watched it a few times, spoken to a lot of the players and they can't work it out either.

"I'm not sure if they took it easy or there was too much anxiety.

"All that I know is that you can't jump inside their heads and we can't actually do anything for them, it's up to them to do it themselves.

"The Geelong footy club really requires them to have a fantastic start on the weekend."

Thompson is set to keep faith with the bevy of premiership stars who put in a rare off-day against St Kilda.

All 22 members of the team who failed to fire in the first half against the Saints were members of at least one of the Cats' two recent flag-winning teams in 2007 and 2009.

As such, coach Mark Thompson is likely to resist any calls for multiple omissions and cut them some slack, especially after they reeled in a 33-point deficit to fall just four points short of the Saints.

"Our guys have got a lot of pride, they were stung on Friday night," Thompson said on Monday.

"The way we played in the second half, we played a lot better, we played like a team who looked like we wanted to win the match so the hunger is still there."

"If you're a good player and you have a reputation as a good player by everyone who follows the game and the respect of the media, supporters and the other clubs, if you get the opportunity to play finals and you play a poor one you can almost guarantee they won't play too many more bad ones."

Midfielder Joel Selwood, ruckman Brad Ottens, forward Steve Johnson and defenders Josh Hunt, Harry Taylor and Matthew Scarlett were among a large group of big-name Cats well below their best in the first half.

Hunt had his colours lowered by St Kilda goalsneak Stephen Milne.

"I've seen Josh Hunt over six or seven years be isolated down deep and absolutely beat people he probably shouldn't have a right to beat," said Thompson.

"The fact that he had a 10-minute burst where he had three goals kicked against him by Milne who's much lighter and smaller is not good enough and he knows that."

Key forward James Podsiadly is one likely inclusion after serving a two-match suspension, most likely in place of ruckman Mark Blake or Tom Hawkins.

Tall defender Tom Lonergan will also come into calculations, provided he has overcome a hip complaint.

The Cats will start as red-hot favourites against a Fremantle side which limped into September before rediscovering some of their very best form in a comfortable elimination final victory over Hawthorn.

"They were fantastic on the weekend against Hawthorn," said Thompson.

"I thought they really enjoyed the opportunity to play finals, they've got some outstanding young players and some good depth with their older players."

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