JOSH Gibson says Hawthorn’s experience from previous finals campaigns will hold them in good stead against Geelong on Friday night.

Speaking to the media before training today, the two-time Crimmins Medallist said the Hawks were looking forward to Friday’s game.

“This is what we play for, it’s the best time of the season. We’ve got ourselves in the top four and really looking forward to Friday night’s game,” he said.

“People are talking about our form but that’s irrelevant – we’ve finished top four, playing Geelong and going out to hunt them this week.”

Gibson said the newly introduced bye week before the finals hadn’t affected Hawthorn’s preparation.

“We had so much notice (before the bye) that is wasn’t really a factor. We trained on the weekend to emulate a game and tried to keep the week pretty normal,” he said.

He also added that premiership team mates Ben Stratton and Ben McEvoy should return to the side to face the Cats.

“They should be fine. They’re both really important pieces in the cog and it will be good to have them back,” Gibson said.

Hawthorn’s clashes with Geelong in recent times have formed one of the great modern football rivalries, but Gibson was quick to downplay any sense of adding to that rivalry this week.

“I don’t’ know if it’s so much of a rivalry anymore. There were some times where we weren’t playing our best footy and they got the better of us and we’ve sort of turned that around,” he said.

“We’ve played a lot of finals footy and we know what to expect Friday night. It’s going to be a tough game – two great sides going at one another.

“They’re going to come pretty hard at us and we’ll be going just as hard as them so we’ll be coming out to hunt them.”

The three-time premiership player said the Hawks wouldn’t be too concerned about Geelong stars Joel Selwood and Patrick Dangerfield.

“In the past we’ve backed in our system and we don’t tag a lot. If we play to our system, then those types of issues look after themselves,” Gibson said.