GEELONG captain Tom Harley says grand final experience is over-rated and will mean very little to the result of Saturday's match against Hawthorn at the MCG.

"It is a little bit over-rated," Harley said on Monday.

"We went into the grand final without any grand final experience [in 2007] and it didn't seem to deter us too much.

"The build-up [before the game] perhaps we know.

"There are plenty of unexpected things, we've got a bit of handle on those things but we are going to have some players play that didn't play last year and I am sure they are going to have some feelings of nerves as everybody will.

"The experience factor is a tough one to gauge but its certainly not going to harm us."

Harley said the week itself was a "hell of a lot of fun" and that he was particularly looking forward to the grand final parade on Friday.

"I enjoyed [the grand final parade] last year. I rode in a car with Bomber and saw a lot of family and friends. There are two Victorian teams in it this year for the first time in a while so there should be plenty of people there and plenty of colour. It is a great tradition," Harley said.

"We have been in the spotlight for two years; our games are widely critiqued and analysed and the grand final is the pinnacle of intense media intensity in AFL footy. We wouldn't expect anything different."

Harley said he would urge the players to have an open mind this week and not be thrown by anything different that cropped up.

"You've also got to keep your eye on the prize – when you come to training you are there to train and when you are in meetings you are there to listen and obviously when you are there to play on Saturday you are there to play."