The 2017 Brownlow Medallist and the raging favourite for the 2018 award, Dustin Martin and Tom Mitchell are set to go head-to-head in a blockbuster qualifying final on Thursday night.
Despite being regarded as two of the premiere midfielders of the competition, the Hawk and the Tiger are just that- two very different beasts.
Arguably the greatest ball-winner the game has ever seen, Mitchell is on track to record the most disposals ever gathered in a season.
In fact, if the 25-year old can have his 12th40-plus-possession game of the year on Thursday night, he will overtake Adelaide’s Matt Crouch for the mantle, despite the Crow playing two more games in his impressive 2017 season.
The former Swan has taken his game to another level this year, going from the 14th-best clearance player in his maiden All Australian year in 2017 to the number one in the game in 2018, despite averaging almost exactly the same amount of disposals.
Mitchell has also enjoyed a huge uptick in the number of forward 50 entries he has generated in his second year in the brown and gold, averaging 5.1 inside 50s this year which is 1.5 more than the season previous.
On the flipside, Martin has had over 250 less disposals than his Hawthorn counterpart this year.
The 27-year old’s influence is much less the ball-getter, having surpassed 30 disposals on just four instances this year, and much more the powerful midfielder who can also go forward and win a game off his own boot.
Martin had a shot at goal in all bar one of his 21 games this year, kicking goals in 14 of his outings including a haul of six against the Brisbane Lions in Round 4 and a bag of five in his side’s Round 2 loss to Adelaide.
Most influential forward of centre, no other player matched the reigning Brownlow Medallist’s feat of having three games this season where he recorded double-digit numbers for inside 50s.
Finals football is all about watching the best go against the best.
On the opening night of the 2018 finals series, that is exactly what the fans will be getting with this enthralling head-to-head duel.
