Geelong skipper Tom Harley has warned Hawthorn that any attempt to rough-up the Cats in Saturday's grand final is almost certain to backfire.
If the Hawks want to get physical, according to Harley, it'll be at their own risk.
Branded as 'unsociable' for their uncompromising approach on the field in 2008, the Hawks have nine players in line for grand final selection with active demerit points hanging over their heads.
Quizzed on Monday about how the Cats would respond if the Hawks turn up the heat physically, Harley said: "We think we're a pretty level-headed sort of group and pretty experienced and … physically I think we can handle that".
"It's happened a lot this year, and I'm not sure that the results have necessarily gone the way of the clubs that have tried that."
"We've got some competitive players and hard players that like to play the game hard and tough but also fair."
"I wouldn't have thought that too many of them would be taking a backward step."
Harley played down suggestions the Cats would dish out some treatment of their own to Hawthorn playmaker Luke Hodge who will go into Saturday's contest nursing tender ribs from a heavy clash with Saint Justin Koschitzke.
"He's going to have a Hawthorn jumper on … and you go out to play them hard and fair but I wouldn't have thought you would run out of your way to do anything like that," he said.
Meanwhile, Harley said he wasn't convinced that Geelong's edge in finals experience would provide a significant advantage.
The Cats, he noted, would be fielding four or possibly five grand-final debutants on Saturday.
"We went into the Grand Final last year without any grand-final experience, and it didn't seem to deter us too much," he said.
"I think it's a little bit overrated, perhaps."
Harley said the task of curbing the Hawks' trump card Lance Franklin would be shared around, with Matthew Scarlett, Harry Taylor, Andrew Mackie and Harley himself part of the rotation.