A lesson from Max Gawn early in his career has Brisbane Lions ruck Sam Draper primed for what Fremantle superstar Luke Jackson could throw at him on grand final day.
Jackson, described as a unicorn for his mobility and goal-kicking nous for a ruckman, looms as a key piece in the Dockers' bid to claim their maiden AFL premiership on Saturday.
The 24-year-old has already changed a grand final, back in 2021 for Melbourne during an unforgettable third-quarter burst.
Jackson has arguably been Fremantle's most consistent performer across their first three finals, having big moments in victories over Geelong and Sydney.
Alongside Gawn, Jackson is the premier big man in the competition.
But Draper is intent on not falling into the trap that derailed a clash with Gawn back in 2021.
"I just was worried about him the whole time, and wasn't worried about my own game," Draper recalls.
"He absolutely towelled me up, and I got nowhere near it.
"I just learned a lot from that because he's the greatest ruckman I reckon of all time.
"Early in my career, I probably focused too much on trying to stop opposition and focus on them too much.
"I've learned as I got older in my career, it's all about what I can bring, and then the game will go from there."
Draper didn't want to give away any secrets about his plans for Jackson, but hailed the Dockers dynamo.
The pair virtually broke even when Fremantle went to the Gabba in round 12 and beat the Lions by 25 points.
"Luke's an amazing player, a genuine match-winner and a bit of a freak really for what rucks can do,'' Draper said.
"He can do everything, so it's going to be a really good battle."
The midfield contest shapes as one of the most intriguing in recent grand final history.
Both teams bat deep out of the middle and can score heavily from centre clearance.
But the Lions can also concede quickly, as they did in the last quarter of their epic preliminary final win over Hawthorn.
"Hawthorn are a really good team, and that game was amazing to be a part of, and fortunately we were able to get on the right side of it," Draper said.
"We definitely learned a lot from that last quarter and the importance of the centre bounce."
