GEELONG coach Mark Thompson says he hasn’t enjoyed grand final week but knows the experience of his side’s successful 2007 campaign could benefit the Cats as they embark on their quest for back-to-back flags on Saturday.

Speaking at the traditional press conference after the 2008 Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade on Friday afternoon, Thompson said the week leading up to the biggest day on the football calendar can be a stressful time.

“This week, a lot of people say go out and enjoy it. Well, I haven’t enjoyed it,” the premiership coach said at Melbourne's Treasury Building.

“To be quite honest it’s been a really hard, long week and you can’t hide from that fact that there’s a game before the game, and that’s what we’ve tried to really manage well.

“By saying that, having done it last year, you sort of know what you’re in for and know how to plan pretty well.

“[That’s to] try to give the boys the best possible chance to turn up in a good frame of mind tomorrow.”

For the second straight year the media has swarmed to the second biggest city in Victoria.

Last season it was because the club was on the verge of its first premiership in 44 years but, this week, the race to get the scoop on which unlucky player would miss the final line-up grew more intense by the day.

David Wocjinski turned out to be the unlucky Cat, but Thompson believes his club has again managed the pressures of the season’s biggest week well.

The 44-year-old has coached Geelong since 2000 and was also a three-time premiership player at Essendon, but he said it was difficult to gauge the importance of such experience.

“It’s always good to have [finals experience],” Thompson said.

“We’ve both got it. The Hawks have been in the finals too.

“People sometimes say that having played in a grand final is a good experience, well, maybe our boys have played there last year and we went out and played pretty well so, in that regard it probably helps.”