HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson has predicted tough, hard football in Saturday's grand final against Geelong, but he believes any suggestion of a reprise of the brutal style of 1989 when the two teams last met in an epic finale is off the mark.

Speaking at the Treasury Building in Melbourne following the 2008 Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade on Friday, Clarkson said the reason why Geelong and Hawthorn finished first and second on the ladder this season was because of their methodical football – not roughhouse tactics.

"We've got a little bit of chasing, because the Cats have been so formidable over the last two seasons. They've lost very few games. Both sides structure up really well and are really disciplined sides," he said.

"So I'd be very surprised – despite the speculation about 1989 – if both sides didn't settle really quickly tomorrow and do what they do best and that's play good, tough hard footy. And both sides are very similar in that regard too."

Clarkson said the secret to tough, hard football in grand finals was "winning the footy more often than your opponent can.

"You just don't know what's going to happen in a grand final. It's very emotive. Whether it's the grand final or home-and-away or preliminary finals – you just want to settle and concentrate on the footy as quickly as you can.

"Things happen in games and sometimes you can't control them – one of the features of our game is the physical side of it. The reason we're in the grand final is because both sides have played genuine good footy across the course of the year.

"We're not going to win the game of footy tomorrow by fighting – we're going to win it by winning the hard ball and trying to put the score on the scoreboard."

Clarkson said his side's grand final preparation had been first class across the entire club.

"We're pleased with the preparation we've had. Andrew Russell and the conditioning team have done an outstanding job in getting as close to our best team on the field," Clarkson said.

"We couldn't be better prepared. We have no excuses. The best team will win tomorrow."