Big wet suits Hayes

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St Kilda star Lenny Hayes doesn't believe the Saints will be disadvantaged by the forecast of sustained wet weather ahead of the club's qualifying final against Geelong at the MCG on Friday night.

Accustomed to playing in controlled conditions at Etihad Stadium, the Saints are one from two from their previous outings at the 'G' this season, though that record includes a 24-point win over the Cats in Round 13 when they managed to keep the opposition goalless in the second half.

Conditions on Friday are expected to be similar to last year's grand final when Geelong edged the Saints by 12 points in one of the most hard-fought premiership deciders in recent history.

"I think, if anything, usually (wet) games are a little bit closer and there's a lot of tackling, a lot of contested footy," said Hayes ahead of training at Moorabbin on Wednesday.

"Most of the games against Geelong are in that vein anyway."

"I don't think it's going to favour either side, really."

Asked whether the memories of the 2009 grand final would provide inspiration for the Saints on Friday, Hayes said: "I think every player would draw on it at some point."

"You would like to think that when games are getting tough and they are tight you can draw on those feelings and the disappointment of a last year and use it to your advantage."

Hayes agreed that the Saints have enjoyed a quieter build-up this season when compared with last year when they roared into September on the back of a home-and-away campaign that earned them 20 wins from 22 starts.

"A lot of the talk has been about Geelong and Collingwood and we have probably been on the backburner a little bit," said Hayes.

"But we have earned the right, we finished top-four, we've got the double chance and we're as good a chance as anyone going into the finals series."

Meanwhile, Hayes dismissed as a beat up media reports that laptops stolen from the club earlier in the week contained top-secret 'football sensitive' information.

"I think it's been built up a fair bit in the media," Hayes said.

"I don't think anything of too much importance was taken."

Veteran defender Steven Baker, who's set to return to the senior line-up after serving a nine-week suspension, was one of the first onto the training track on Wednesday.

Sam Fisher, who aggravated a hamstring strain in last Saturday's loss to the Crows at AAMI Stadium, also trained but kept his exertions to a minimum in the 15 minutes the session was open to the media.

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