Hawthorn players and fans got a taste of Melbourne weather at club's final session Ready ... Josh Gibson, Isaac Smith and Brent Guerra. LIKE Fremantle's frenzied pressure, the weather at Hawthorn's final training session came in waves. It blew a gale one minute, the sun shone like summer the next before the rain tumbled down again soon after. Pain of defeat driving Hawks The numbers weren't quite as plentiful as last year - although a crowd upwards of 5000 was still impressive given the shocking conditions - but the support no less rabid as Hawks players ran through their paces one last time before Saturday's Grand Final. The mood was different to 12 months ago, however. Grand goals on game's biggest stage An atmosphere of confidence, almost cockiness, last year was replaced by cautious optimism both within the crowd and also from past greats who spoke on stage. Team of the Century captain Graham Arthur, the club's 1961 premiership captain, noted that this time last year he predicted a 10-goal win against Sydney. There were no such outlandish statements this time. Support ... Hawks fans flocked to Waverley Park. "The players are concentrating very, very hard on winning the game," Arthur said. You can just sense that by talking to the players and being around the club that everyone is really switched on. Hawthorn chief executive Stuart Fox said after the session that the mood at the club was significantly different this time. "I think that's probably because we're prepared for it, we know what it's like," Fox said. There's probably a little less anxiety in the preparation, if I could describe it in a word or two it's very business like, we're waiting for the game now and our preparation has been very, very good. Fans ... As many as 5000 fans turned out to see Hawthorn train. Fox said the numbers at training had surprised him. "The weather couldn't have been any dirtier for us this morning," he said. Everything was about to blow away, so I wasn't expecting such a big crowd when we got here. I'm absolutely rapt that our members and supporters made the effort to come out and support the team. The place was buzzing for a good couple of hours while the boys were out having a run. I was really pleased with the turnout. In the moments before the players ran out to train you could see Brian Lake standing in the grandstand above, looking out the window at the masses of support beneath him. What must he have been thinking? The veteran defender has waited so long for a week like this. Waverley ... A big crowd watch Hawthorn train despite shocking weather. Almost at the same time three-time premiership player Peter Knights spoke of the need for Hawks players to embrace the Grand Final build-up, which is seemingly what Lake was taking the opportunity to do. "It's the most exciting week of the year," Knights said. You hear that they try and treat it like a normal week, but that's a cliché because it's not a normal week. What you want to try and do is stick to your routine as best as possible ... but also soak it up and enjoy this atmosphere, the parade, everything.