Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield is again set to spend plenty of time forward in Saturday's AFL blockbuster against Hawthorn, raising the prospect of a heavyweight clash with Ben Stratton.
Dangerfield's best game in the forward 50m arc last year came in the corresponding fixture against the Hawks, when he defied a foot injury to boot 5.6 and earn three Brownlow Medal votes in a three-point Cats' win.
Three-time premiership defensive star Stratton was a notable absentee on that occasion, having succumbed to a knee injury earlier in the year.
With Gary Ablett and Tim Kelly added to the Cats' midfield rotation in 2018, Dangerfield has again spent plenty of time as an attacking option.
The 2016 Brownlow medallist's season's tally of 20 goals places him third behind Coleman Medal contender Tom Hawkins (49) and Dan Menzel (22).
"He'll certainly play forward (at times) and I think he's had some pretty good battles with Stratton in particular," Cats coach Chris Scott told reporters on Thursday.
"The conditions will play a part there - it's forecast to be a little bit slippery.
"It's a conversation which we have on an ongoing basis every week - how would it look?
"Invariably we come back to backing ourselves to reading the game and reading the moment and obviously getting him involved as well."
Fifth-placed Hawthorn and ninth-ranked Geelong are separated by one win on the ladder.
With three rounds to go, both clubs are still in contention for a top-four spot.
But if results don't go their way, one of them could miss out on the finals action altogether.
