GEELONG coach Chris Scott says he understands the interest in the Cats' grudge match against Essendon this weekend, but he doesn't expect his players to try to prove a point to their old boss Mark Thompson.

The man known as 'Bomber' coached Geelong for 11 seasons, and led the Cats to premierships in 2007 and 2009, the first coming after the club had suffered a 44-year premiership drought.

Thompson departed the Cats in acrimonious circumstances following last season and later joined James Hird's revamped coaching set-up as senior assistant at Essendon.

Saturday night's clash between Geelong and the Bombers at Etihad Stadium is the first meeting between the clubs since Thompson switched camps.

"I think it adds to the theatre of it," Scott said at Skilled Stadium on Tuesday morning.

"I think it's really good for the supporters. It gives them a bit of extra interest.

"But internally, I can't imagine it having an impact at all."

Scott was careful to praise Thompson's work during the long tenure at Geelong.

The Cats have not lost a home and away game since he left and currently sit eight points clear at the top of the ladder.

"One thing he has done ... is set the club up with a fantastic base for the future," Scott said.

"No one can deny that.

"Irrespective of how you feel about the way he left, he's done some amazing work at the footy club and should go down as a Geelong great."

Thompson isn't the only ex-Cat on Essendon's coaching staff.

Brendan McCartney, who worked as a development coach at Skilled Stadium, was also poached by the Bombers late last year.

Given that Essendon has lost its past five matches - in the process tumbling from the top four to 10th on the ladder - both men are expected to give Hird plenty of information about their former players as they try to inspire an upset victory.

"But I don't think there are any great secrets to what we're doing," Scott said.

"Certainly the intimate knowledge of the individuals could be important. It depends on how much weight you place on that sort of stuff.

"I knew a lot about Sandilands and Mundy and Hill before we played Fremantle, but it didn't help a lot. They're still pretty good players."