The pivotal match-ups which will decide the 2020 premiership

Footy’s larrikin-turnedchoir boy is as close to perfect in the cauldron of finals football as a player can be. He will not only tackle the best the Cats can throw at him, he is fighting against history as well.

No player has won three Norm Smith Medals before, with a trio of these feted awards putting him on the fasttrack to Hall of Fame legend status when he becomes eligible.

Geelong need to tag him with Cam Guthrie but probably won’t, so his regular Cats forward match-up Kolodjashnij needs to control him as he wanders up the ground into stoppages, which is where he creates so much havoc.

BACHAR HOULI VERSUS LUKE DAHLHAUS

They don’t write songs about dual Norm Smith Medal runners-up, but Houli’s brilliance after finishing behind only Dustin Martin in two grand finals is unquestioned.

Houli and Richmond will try to orchestrate a match-up on the least lethal Cats forward so he can surge into space at every opportunity and turn counter-attack into offence.

Dahlhaus was his opponent in last year’s preliminary final, and must get dangerous from the opening bounce to plant the seed of doubt into Houli.

VERSUS

JACK RIEWOLDT LACHIE HENDERSON

As triple Coleman Medallist Riewoldt was kicking his fifth goal in last year’s grand final,

Henderson was on footy’s scrapheap, eventually delisted by the Cats.

He fought his way back on to the rookie list and has arguably been Geelong’s most consistent finals player.

TOM HAWKINS VERSUS NOAH BALTA

Hawkins emerged onto the scene described by premiership coach Denis Pagan as an

“18-year-old Tony Lockett” while Balta was immediately compared to five-time All Australian Alex Rance.

The Tigers defender mixes freakish athletic powers with a canny sense of when to spoil and when to intercept mark, but knows there is no more dangerous opponent than Hawkins.