Ask Hawthorn teammates what's special about the man dubbed 'The Wizard' and the list of answers will be as long as your arm.
No-fuss defender Tom Barrass simplifies his response with another question: "What's not special about him?"
"He's a fantastic player - up there with the best I've seen from a young age," Barrass told AAP.
"He's tough as nails, he's so clean and he can just do things that other players can't."
The Wizard, also known as Nick Watson, has a growing highlights reel as proof.
In his past two outings, the diminutive forward has weaved his magic with a mark-of-the-year entry against West Coast and a brilliant goal off the ground that sparked a stunning upset of minor premiers Fremantle.
That victory secured direct passage to a preliminary final, with the Hawks to host the Brisbane Lions at the MCG on Saturday.
Ryan Lester and Darcy Wilmot loom as likely match-ups for Watson, after fellow defender Noah Answerth was unable to overcome an ankle injury in time.
Answerth held Watson goalless from just nine disposals last month when the Lions won their previous clash with Hawthorn by 67 points.
It was a rare blip for Watson, who appears made for the finals stage, where the competition's best players have stamped themselves over time as greats of the game.
The 21-year-old kicked seven goals in two finals in 2024, his debut season, and added four in three finals last year, while his two in Perth a fortnight ago proved pivotal.
Hawthorn raised eyebrows when selecting Watson at No.5 in the 2023 draft, amid doubts over the 170cm talent's stature.
It has never bothered the man himself, who burst onto the AFL scene and immediately developed a cult following.
The hype around the young star has gone into overdrive since his first All-Australian selection last month, and there will again be sea of pointed wizard hats in the MCG crowd on Saturday.
Teammates note Watson's impact extends well beyond the goals and energetic celebrations.
"The world's waking up to just how good of a player he might be - including myself," Barrass said.
"He's truly got everything. He's fast as, he can mark the ball, big hangers, he's the cleanest on the ground I've seen ... and he's tough as nails.
"He's a really hard match-up and I'm excited to see what he can do this September."
Watson has kicked 57 goals this season, up from 36 last year and 25 in 2024, taking his game to new heights.
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell believes the young star has mostly handled increased attention from opponents well, lauding Watson's work ethic.
"It's very difficult to be a consistent small forward and he's been about as consistent as you could hope to be in that position, particularly at his age," Mitchell said.
"Last year he got a lot of attention and didn't have quite enough tricks ... to put himself at the echelon he has this year.
"He's spent 12 months working on his craft and how to beat different players and add a couple of different strings to his bow so that he is a bit more flexible."
While Watson has to put up with with more external noise than most players, Hawthorn co-captain Jai Newcombe admires his teammate's ability to turn on his "windscreen wipers".
That is, to set aside a below-par performance and not let criticism or the spotlight affect him.
"He deals with a lot more than the rest of us do, just in the media and in general," Newcombe said.
"He's been targeted and still been able to perform well. It's hard to dominate every week.
"It's to be expected and he probably has a fair few years of that ahead of him, given how well he's going right now."
Watson's finals record to date is proof the Hawks' cult hero can shine under pressure.
"It's definitely a strength of his," Newcombe said.
"He gets so much more attention than the rest of us and you can't really say it affects him too much."
Hawthorn wingman Massimo D'Ambrosio marvels at Watson's ability to flick a switch between his on-field and off-field personas.
"He's someone that's very laid back, but when it's time to go, he gives it his all," D'Ambrosio said.
"He's been awesome this year and credit to him to be able to make All-Australian in his third year.
"He's got a long way to go. A lot of great footy ahead of him."
Hawthorn key forward Mitch Lewis likens Watson to an on-field get out of jail free card.
"If I don't know what to do, I just handball to 'Wiz' and he'll do something good," Lewis said.
"I'm sure he's going to get a lot of attention in the final series because he's one of our best players.
"The things he can do on a football field are pretty special."
Despite his tender age, Watson is teaching new tricks to much more experienced players - even some of the most decorated small forwards in the game.
Brisbane star Charlie Cameron - with 491 goals, 279 games and two premierships under his belt - will have a close eye on Watson from the other end of the field in their preliminary final showdown.
"You take little learnings from him, even though I'm in my 13th year and he's in his third," Cameron said.
"I'm still learning off him ... he's a quality player."
