Melbourne onballer Jordan Lewis is adamant he has nothing to prove to Hawthorn when he comes up against his old AFL club for the first time.
Lewis will be the centre of attention this Sunday at the MCG when the two sides clash.
It will be the first time he or former Hawks teammate Sam Mitchell have gone up against their old club, following the tumultuous events of last October.
Coach Alastair Clarkson engineered Mitchell's trade to West Coast and then also asked Lewis about ending his celebrated career at another club.
Lewis ended up at the Demons after four premierships and 264 games at Hawthorn.
Mitchell missed the Eagles' round-five loss to Hawthorn because of injury.
Lewis was asked if he wanted to play well this Sunday to prove a point to Clarkson.
"No is the honest answer, I really don't," he told Fox Footy.
"I want to perform for 'Goody' (Demons coach Simon Goodwin) and Melbourne.
"I don't play in spite of anyone - I'm here to perform as a Melbourne player.
"I don't have to prove to anyone at Hawthorn that I can play."
But Lewis admits he is unsure how he will feel on the day.
"The game will be what the game will be and I think I'm old enough and mature enough to cope with whatever will come ... or maybe I'm not," he said.
It will also be the first time he plays against his good friend and Hawthorn captain Jarryd Roughead since 2004, the year they were drafted.
"It will be a weird experience," he said.
Lewis also conceded he might have to be on his guard that he handballs to the right player.
"The voices might get me, when you're bent over and someone calls for the ball," he said.
But the tough onballer also pointed out the stakes are far higher than his personal situation.
The Demons are coming off a solid win over Essendon, while the Hawks are mired in crisis again after their crushing loss to St Kilda.
"We sit 3-3, so it's important to get ahead of the ledger - it's a huge game," he said.
Lewis returned in the Essendon game from a three-game suspension and was one of the Demons' best players.
"I was really nervous - it was nice to find your feet early," he said.
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