GEELONG’s winning streak over Hawthorn means nothing on Friday night with a Grand Final berth at stake, Captain Luke Hodge says.

The Hawks haven’t beaten the Cats in 11 attempts, having fallen to its Preliminary Final opponents in Rounds 1 and 15 this season.

While some believe that may serve as extra motivation for the Hawks on Friday night, Hodge says it won’t even enter the minds of the players in the lead-up to the game.

There is a much bigger prize at stake.

“We’re just focusing on Friday night; whatever has happened in the past is in the past. Hodge said at the Ricoh Centre on Monday.

“The motivation of playing in a Grand Final is big enough and Geelong are in our road to get to that goal, that’s as big a motivation as you’ll need.

“It’s a big game. It’s a prelim, both teams are going to be hard at it and we can’t wait.”

The Hawks head into Friday night’s Preliminary Final in the privileged position of having the week off, after it defeated Sydney in the Qualifying Final two Fridays ago.

But there was no rest for the Hawks last week, with the Club and its fitness and coaching staff preparing as if the Hawks were to play on the weekend.

That preparation culminated in an intense training session on Friday to prepare the players for the intensity of game with a place in the Grand Final at stake.

“We had a great training block on Friday and we know we’ve got the bring the intensity on Friday night that it’s a prelim final, and both teams are going to be hard at it,” Hodge said.

“The intensity on Friday was pretty high – it had everything but the physicality of a game.

“One thing that teams make the mistake of doing, is coming off a bye or a rest and have had an easy training load and aren’t ready for the physicality or intensity of a game and we made sure on Friday that won’t be the case this week.”

The Hawthorn Captain, who missed last year’s Preliminary Final with gastro, was forced to watch his team triumph in a nail-biter against Adelaide in the corresponding game last year.

Despite going into the match as heavy favourites, the Hawks were given a scare by the Crows at the MCG before winning a place in the 2012 Grand Final by five points.

Hodge says the Hawks have learnt from last year’s Preliminary Final and are ready and aware of what’s coming on Friday night.

“A prelim final, as we found out last year, it doesn’t matter who you come up against, it’s going to be a hard and tough game,” he said.

“We’ve had that mentality all last week and it’ll be the same this week.”

The Hawks will regain star forward Lance Franklin from suspension for Friday night’s game, while Cyril Rioli is expected to be fit despite battling an ankle injury.

Rioli hasn’t played since Round 22 and should he play on Friday night, it will be four weeks since he’s played.

But Hodge and the Hawks aren’t worried about any potential fitness issue with the dynamic forward.

“Whenever ‘Junior’ comes back in, he’s exciting and his energy levels get him through games. I don’t think there will be any issues with his fitness,” he said.