Jeff's Kennett's curse alive and kicking and he doesn't regret comments for a moment Former Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett hopes Hawthorn wins today but should it happen he won't be tempted to retrieve his famous brown and gold jacket from the club's museum at Waverley Park. Picture: David Caird. JEFF Kennett isn't sure whether he wants Hawthorn to beat Geelong at the MCG today. The former premier and Hawthorn president is responsible for the Kennett Curse after he lobbed a grenade on the eve of the 2009 season, accusing the Cats of not having the "mental drive" of the Hawks. Seen to be gloating after Hawthorn's shock victory over Geelong in the 2008 Grand Final, Kennett praised the Cats but said they didn't have the quality of some of his players or their psychological drive. Hawthorn hasn't beaten Geelong in nine attempts since. Kennett doesn't accept responsibility. He said if the curse was broken no one would ever talk about him. "It's the only thing that this poor pensioner has left going for him," he joked. The only thing that gets brought to the public these days about me is the Kennett Curse. Kennett, who was club president from 2006-11, said yesterday he was only referring to beating Geelong in grand finals, but says everyone took it to mean Hawthorn had to win every clash with the Cats. "I don't regret it for a moment," Kennett said. Can I say that I don't think I regret anything that has happened in my life, let alone what I've said but there are others who often regret it. Our boys are either good enough to beat Geelong or they are not and it doesn't matter what I say or what anyone else says. I would always prefer that we beat them in grand finals than home-and-away games. Kennett hopes Hawthorn wins today but should it happen he won't be tempted to retrieve his famous brown and gold jacket from the club's museum at Waverley Park. He suggests that he, and the coat, will be put into the museum. "Because there will be no reason for me to exist," he said. The only thing that keeps me getting up each morning is the extraordinary attention I get from the Kennett Curse and if that was to disappear I should perhaps go into the Hawthorn museum, get into my jacket and I'll allow myself to become a permanent exhibit. While Kennett is blamed for providing the Cats with some exceptional motivation, rugged Cat Paul Chapman didn't need any words to stir his emotions after the Grand Final loss. "We've said to ourselves that we don't, if we can, ever let Hawthorn beat us again because we still hurt from that," Chapman revealed on the eve of their Easter blockbuster against Hawthorn in 2011. It's obviously in the back of our heads, but there's nothing we can do about it now. All you can do is show that you're still hurting and do the best you can when you play them next. For me, that's something that motivates me against them.