LIKE all Geelong players who have been at the club for the past five years, Grand Final week brings a familiar routine for Mathew Stokes.

But, unlike the Cats' past three campaigns, there has been little conjecture about Stokes' fitness and whether he can make the team.

An injury early in the '07 win over Port Adelaide, questionable fitness in the lead-up to the '08 loss to Hawthorn and being unable to reclaim his spot for the '09 win over St Kilda have meant that Stokes has been a constant side story for the Cats come Grand Final time.

But not this week, where he is firmly entrenched and fully fit and the spotlight shines on others.

"I said to my old man last night it was actually enjoyable this week to go to training on Monday and not worry about my spot," Stokes said at Friday's Grand Final parade.

"I've had a pretty consistent year this year and I played pretty well. Apart from '07, this is probably the first year I've been able to enjoy the week and not have to worry about the phone call and that conversation with the coach."

Stokes said he remembers little of the lead-up to his first Grand Final four years ago.

"Not really, it was a bit of a blur. They were exciting times and it was all fresh and happening for the first time," he said.

After being carted from the field with what looked to be a serious knee injury in the opening quarter against the Power, Stokes eventually returned but his output was minimal.

"I still managed to be able to play a fair bit of that game. It was a bit disappointing to do the injury and not have as much of an influence as I would have liked. It's just footy and that's the way it is, you've got to take the good with the bad," he said.

The following season, injury timed its run poorly again and Stokes had groin issues in the lead-up to the Hawthorn loss.

He played, but with little impact.

The following year he withdrew from the preliminary final, also with a groin injury, and was unable to win his way back.

"In '08, at the end of the day, I probably shouldn't have played but Bomber (then coach Mark Thompson) backed me in. It was pretty disappointing in '09. I learned from my mistakes and withdrew from the preliminary final game," he said.

"I had no regrets about doing that, even though we won. That's just life in footy. I missed the game but I was pretty proud that I made the decision not to play."

Few have been schooled in grand final dramas quite like Stokes and he would be forgiven for thinking he had experienced it all.

But he said the fact he will take the field with close friends and fellow indigenous Cats Allen Christensen and Travis Varcoe adds an extra feeling to this one.

"To play in this Grand Final means a lot to me from where I've come from. But to be able to play with these two boys and be able to have some kind of influence over them over their careers has been a big joy for me," he said.

"I'm so proud of Bundy (Christensen), he's come a long way this year and the chance to be a premiership player with him would cap a great day off."