ALL BEN Stratton will gain from spending extra time on opposition analysis before the AFL grand final is more stress.

While the Hawthorn defender respects the depth of talent in the Sydney forward line, he says it is pointless over-thinking what has to be done.

The Hawks did their opposition analysis on Tuesday and Stratton might look at some video on Thursday.


But otherwise, he will not obsess over Saturday's powerful opposition.

"It's good to get it away early and then just clear your mind," he said.

"I don't think it will be more time than usual.

"I like to keep things pretty simple and clear my head of everything - just got out and play.

"I will look at one or two opponents, maybe three, but I will try to keep things pretty clear and just play how I've played most of the year."

Coleman Medallist Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett are the twin towers of the outstanding Swans attack, which also features veteran Adam Goodes and Sam Reid.

Franklin is in such strong form that unless the Hawks can shut down his supply, he alone could tear the game apart.

But Stratton said concentrating on one opponent would be a bad idea.

"You can't just shut one or two blokes down, you have to shut four or five or even six," he said.

"Another guy will pop up if you shut down another."

Stratton can play on tall or shorter forwards and seems certain to spend time trying to stop Goodes.

For all the talk about whether this might be Goodes' last game, Stratton noted how well the two-time Brownlow Medallist played when the Swans routed North Melbourne last weekend in their preliminary final.

"I played on Goodes in my first year and that was a pretty tough experience," Stratton said.

"I don't think he's gone downhill at all.

"You're going to roll between a few (opponents), so I won't look at one specifically.

"It will just do my head in."

Stratton only played four games in the first half of the season due to injury, but the reliable Hawks backman has only missed one game since.