Eighty per cent of what Hawthorn maestro Alastair Clarkson devises for Thursday night's AFL qualifying final is unlikely to come as much surprise to Richmond, but the remainder could prove the difference between triumph and defeat.
Clarkson's reputation as a master tactician has been touted as the Hawks' biggest weapon as they look to upset a Richmond side boasting last year's flag, the minor premiership and a 21-game winning streak at the MCG.
The four-time premiership coach has rarely had such a top-heavy list at his disposal.
Tom Mitchell, Isaac Smith, Jaeger O'Meara, Luke Breust and Jack Gunston are all A-grade players but the level of class quickly drops off from there, fuelling perceptions that Clarkson must pull off a masterstroke to defeat the Tigers.
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick isn't surprised his former mentor's tactical nous has been such a focus, hailing him as the best coach of the modern era.
But Hardwick channelled former United States defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld when asked whether he expected Clarkson to throw a tactical curveball.
"Eighty per cent of what Hawthorn do, we're probably going to know," Hardwick told reporters on Wednesday.
"Twenty per cent is always the unknown.
"I think we'll just prepare for the 80 and we'll deal with the 20 ... like the 'known knowns' and the 'unknown knowns'.
"We're certainly going to have a set of circumstances that are going to present themselves on the weekend that are going to be a little bit different. That's why he's such a great coach ... but if we continue to back ourselves in, we're going to be really hard to beat."
The Tigers are largely settled heading into the first-ever final between the two powerhouse clubs with the inclusion of Kane Lambert confirmed as their only change.
Forward Dan Butler has fallen short in his bid to fully recover from an ankle injury which has sidelined him since round 16.
Both sides boast six-game winning streaks but the Tigers' outright flag favouritism has led to questions about their level of focus.
"One thing we work incredibly hard on is remaining humble and incredibly hungry," Hardwick said.
"That's two words that you'll always see in our footy club."
Stability is another word that has been important for the Tigers, who have used just 34 players this season - only West Coast with 33 have deployed fewer among the AFL finalists.
"People will often talk about the finals experience but I think it's more about the side playing together for a period of time," Hardwick said.
"We regularly play in front of big crowds so our boys are used to it.
"Do they thrive off it? I'd like to think they do."
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