Geelong coach Mark Thompson is confident the Cats are better-prepared for an AFL preliminary final in 2008 having been through the same experience last year.
The Cats adjusted their training schedule last week and over the weekend after considering what they did at the same point in 2007.
Geelong narrowly beat Collingwood in last year’s preliminary final before beating Port Adelaide in the grand final.
Thompson said the Cats had done things slightly different in the lead-up to this Friday night’s preliminary final against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG.
“Looking back we probably trained a little bit too light last year, we were all about recovery,” he said today.
“This time around we’ve recovered them post-game, but we’ve actually lifted the intensity a bit more than we did last year.
“We know that this time last year going into a preliminary final there was a lot of unanswered questions.
“Sure there’s a lot of unanswered questions (this year), but we feel that we’ve been and lived through that experience and we’re better for it.
“That’s the only advantage we have coming into this week.”
Half-forward Paul Chapman will need to train well tomorrow if he is to prove he has overcome his latest hamstring problem.
“He trained really well yesterday, trained hard, fast, kicked the ball and ran at top speed,” Thompson said.
“He’s got a few boxes to tick yet, but he’s certainly on his way.
“He’s got to join in training tomorrow … with the group and give it a real good test.”
Thompson said midfielder James Kelly was a “95 per cent chance” of replacing Brent Prismall.
Kelly has overcome a quad injury, while Prismall suffered a serious knee injury in the qualifying final win over St Kilda.
