His month-long AFL suspension for choking North Melbourne skipper Drew Petrie has proved a blessing for Hawthorn defender Brian Lake.

Ahead of Saturday’s grand final against Sydney, Lake said he had benefited from the much-publicised ban.

The 32-year-old was widely criticised for his vicious choking of Petrie in round 16.

The four-week sentence meant he missed their last clash with the Swans in round 18, which they won.

But last year’s Norm Smith medallist is now looking at the positives.

“I knew it was only four weeks, so you’ve just got to take the positives out of it,” Lake said on Sunday following Hawthorn’s heart-stopping preliminary final win over Port Adelaide.

“I haven’t had a break that close to finals before in my career, so you freshen up the mind and the body.

“I got a good four weeks of fitness in. I was always going to be better for it.”

Lake has only played 10 games this season, including their two finals matches, because of another four-game suspension stemming from last year’s grand final.

He also underwent surgery on his calf.

But Lake never thought he could be on the sidelines as the Hawks defended their 2013 title.

“I knew everything would come right,” he said.

“The injury, we got on top of that and understood what was going on with the calf and the knee.

“I always had confidence that I would come back.”

Since his switch two years ago from the Western Bulldogs, where he played 197 games, Lake has played in two grand finals, winning one.

Soon out of contract, he is hoping for at least one more.

“It was a pretty smart decision to sign with the Hawks,” he said.

“Two years and two grand finals. I’ve just got to make sure I get another medallion.”