One last showdown between Geelong's Tom Lonergan and Sydney's Lance Franklin looms as an intriguing subplot to a Friday night AFL thriller.
The veteran Cats' defender is weighing up retirement and will discuss his future at the end of the season with the club.
Fittingly, in what could be his final weeks, Lonergan appears set to stand against his old rival Franklin once more when the Cats host Sydney at Simonds Stadium.
The pair have enjoyed a long-running battle over the years, with Lonergan one of the few defenders who can claim to have had the superstar forward's measure.
With both 2nd-placed Geelong and sixth-placed Sydney looking to secure home finals, Lonergan said he would relish another battle with Buddy.
"He's certainly a guy I love playing on," Lonergan said on Thursday.
"He's probably the best forward in the competition and has been for a long period.
"I enjoy coming up against the best and it's another good opportunity."
Geelong coach Chris Scott said the mammoth task of stopping Franklin would fall not only on Lonergan, but also the rest of the backline.
"He's done as good a job as anyone I've seen on Buddy, but we're all well aware how difficult that is and what a trap it is to say 'I'm a good match-up for this guy'," Scott said.
"It's a bit like Cyril Rioli - there are no good match-ups for those guys when they turn it on.
"The excitement will be around a player late in his career getting another chance at one of the all-time greats."
Geelong face a major test without Brownlow Medallist Patrick Dangerfield, whose one-game suspension for a dangerous tackle on Carlton's Matthew Kreuzer has dominated headlines this week.
Nakia Cockatoo has injured his hamstring, while Steven Motlop and Daniel Menzel face several more weeks on the sidelines.
Lonergan had an injury scare last week when he copped a knee to the back from Blues forward Levi Casboult in a marking contest.
After losing a kidney and being placed in an induced coma in a similar incident in 2006, Lonergan admitted the collision had expedited retirement thoughts.
"When things like last weekend happen - you get a knock to the back - it sort of does cross your mind, but I'll have that discussion post-season," Lonergan said.
"We've got a big finals campaign coming up and it's so even, so I'll wait until after the season to have those discussions."
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