Speaking after Geelong's 29-point win at the MCG on Friday night, Thompson said simply winning the match was the objective.
"I don't think it has to be convincing," he said.
"In the end all you have to do is win in finals and that's why you see a lot of times teams in comfortable positions take their foot off the pedal.
"Not that you deliberately want to do that – you never want to do it from the box – it just seemed to be what happened. There's no need to win by a lot. As far as convincing, we were happy to win the game."
Despite last year's drought-breaking flag – Geelong won its first premiership since 1963 – Thompson said 2008 had still been an intense season.
"It's been a pretty pressurised year – it really has," he said.
"The longer it's gone, the more pressure people are putting on us. The expectation to win, the supporters are expecting to win every game they play. The media and all of the people from other clubs – that's a hard thing to carry.
"I think our guys have just handled it terrifically well. We'll just put our heads down this week, go about our business and give ourselves the best shot to play the best footy we can next week."
Thompson praised Max Rooke's hardness at the ball when he ran hard into Bulldog skipper Brad Johnson in a marking contest in the final quarter.
The contest resulted in a spilled ball, and while Bulldogs' supporters howled for a free, the umpires called play-on and Rooke goaled. Johnson was left bleeding from the head and with a corked thigh.
"I like that. I thought it was significant. It just made a statement. One of the reasons why he is in the side, Max Rooke, is because he does those things. He runs straight, he plays for keeps and we love him," Thompson said.
"I had a look on the replay and I wasn't sure [if it was a free kick]. Sometimes they pay them, sometimes they don't. Was Darren Milburn unlucky when he got pinned for holding the ball? Maybe. They pay them sometimes.
"Every game there's a lot of decisions which aren't consistent. And you've just go to live with them. We don't ever whinge or moan about decisions. Ultimately they don't help you win or lose the game – 99 per cent of the time."
