Surely it was coincidence that a star from the 1989 grand final's devastating opening act had breezed through the Skilled Stadium car park moments before Milburn made his comments.
That star was former Cat Mark Yeates – the man who 19 years ago ironed out Hawk Dermott Brereton at the opening bounce of the season-decider.
Yeates's charge from the centre wing to smash into an unsuspecting Brereton off the ball set the scene for 120 minutes of football that have lived in footy folklore among the game's most fiercely contested.
However Milburn, not known to back away from a stoush himself, thinks that while Saturday's encounter might have its moments – especially early – the team that keeps its head over the ball is likely to prosper.
"I think it'll be a pretty fiery first five minutes probably but it'll be just like a normal game [after that]," Milburn said.
"You obviously can't read too much into what happened 20 years ago. It's different footy now to what it was then.
"I think it'll be pretty heated, but all fair I'd say.
"Our boys like winning contested ball, so that's all we'll be trying to do … hopefully win that."
Whether Yeates was at Skilled Stadium on business or pleasure was unknown, but what is undisputed is that in 1989 he crunched Brereton's ribcage.
This weekend the Hawks will again have a player nursing sore ribs, with Luke Hodge copping a heavy knock in last week's preliminary final.
So will Milburn get stuck in should the chance present itself?
"If he's there to be tackled or brought to ground I'll do it, but it's nothing that I wouldn't do to any other player," Milburn said.
"I think I'll be down the other end, so I might have to do a bit of running [if I was to get near to him]."
Hawthorn players have this week spoken of the need to be aggressive, and Milburn was asked whether the Cats had taken special notice of the verbally antagonistic Hawks and their 'unsociable' brand of football.
"I guess every side wants to come out and play physical football and try to intimidate their opponents," he said.
"I don't think Hawthorn will be any different and I don't think we'll play any different to what we've been playing, so nothing will change … it's even keel on the weekend, we both start from the same spot."
