HAWTHORN assistant coach Damien Hardwick promised the Hawks won't be changing their game style as they try to topple Geelong and has predicted an exciting season finale when the two meet on Saturday.

"The great thing about Hawthorn and Geelong is we're very exciting sides to watch. We played a hard, tough, uncompromising brand of footy throughout the year and I don't think anything is going to change," Hardwick said before the team's final training session at Waverley on Thursday.

"Our guys are going to go hard at the man and hard at the man with the football; that's what we've done for 24 games thus far and we'll be doing the same thing again.

"From our point of view we'll probably have one tag, they'll have one tag and it will just be a free-flowing game that will hopefully be a great game to watch."

Preparations for the big match kicked up another gear as the side went through its paces in front of about 10,000 fans at the club's headquarters. While he's been through the process before as a player with Essendon in 2000 and the Power in 2004, Hardwick said his input wouldn't be a major factor.

"It's probably different from a player's and coach's point of view. I've just put in a word of wisdom every now and then with regard to how to go about our preparation," he said.

"But Clarko's very astute and he would have spoken to a lot of people this week and got a lot of advice and he's come through with flying colours."

Lance Franklin was kept to just one goal in the preliminary final win over the Saints, but Hardwick disputed the notion that the Coleman Medallist needed to lift this week.

"In saying he was quieter [last week], he did the team thing and that was really pleasing from our point of view," he said.

"He took Max Hudghton away from full back and opened the door for Mark Williams.

"We're hoping he plays a similar type of role this weekend. The spread of goals in a grand final is very important and that's what we're hoping to get again."

The Hawks had a couple of injury concerns coming out of that match, but Hardwick declared Clinton Young and Luke Hodge certain starters.

Veteran onballer Shane Crawford, whose 305th AFL match will be his first grand final, has been one of the feel-good stories of the week and Hardwick said the 34-year-old hadn't tried to conceal his enthusiasm.

"To be honest he's probably the most excited out of the lot," he said.

"He's played some 17 years and it's his first grand final. He's such a terrific guy around the club and a lot of guys want to get him to his first [flag].

"He's been pretty good all the way through our preparation and his leadership around the club has been invaluable."