We’re days away from one of the biggest AFL blockbusters this year, and the question still remains the same. Can the Cats defeat the Hawks for the 11th time in a row?

Hawthorn have not been able to defeat Geelong since winning the 2008 Grand Final. Many would blame the Kennett curse or say it was because of the pact that Chappy made.

However, according to former Geelong players this so called pact, to never lose to the Hawks again, never existed.

"There is and was no pact," Cameron Ling told News Limited.

"It's a definite myth that one. (Chapman) may have spoken in an interview one or two years later and said something along those lines. But I think even Chappy now says we didn't actually make a pact and concedes it wasn't as clear cut as that.

"It was more a case of when you came up against Hawthorn you just knew they were a terrific footy team who played football the right way. You knew it was going to be a hard contest, and you knew that they'd beaten you in a Grand Final that you were shattered to lose."

Gary Ablett admitted the Cats were devastated after losing the 2008 Grand Final and ever since that day Geelong have seen Hawthorn as the team to beat.

"I don't think too much was said or needed to be said," Ablett said.

"The boys knew that they just didn't perform well on the day. It was just one that got away.

"Obviously the 2008 Grand Final hurt the boys a lot. Putting in all of that hard work and only dropping one game during the season, and then to come out and lose the Grand Final, that was really tough to take. So in the years after that Hawthorn was a team that Geelong really wanted to beat."

As for Jeff Kennett’s notorious comment in 2009 over Geelong’s psychological state, Ling reassured that his statements had no impact on the Cats’ latter performance against Hawthorn.

"It didn't play any sort of part," Ling said.

"I don't think I ever heard it in 'Bomber's (coach Mark Thompson's) time, or in my one year under Scotty (Chris Scott).

Geelong’s former skipper, Tom Harley, also agreed with Ling and said the Club’s number one focus, since their defeat in the 2008 Grand Final, has always been to play competitive footy the Geelong way.

He confirmed that the Cats drive had nothing to do with comments made outside the club.   

"If you're relying on external motivation to drive an outcome for you, then I think you're really barking up the wrong tree," Harley said.