IT'S FITTING that in a round dedicated to celebrating Aboriginal football talent, Adam Goodes, football's only indigenous dual Brownlow medallist, will face off against the only man in the League capable of matching him for size, athletic ability and versatility.

When the Sydney Swans meet Hawthorn at the SCG on Sunday, it will be Goodes, the 194cm, 99kg ruckman-turned-ruck rover-turned forward, facing Lance Franklin (196cm, 101kg), the 2008 Coleman medallist who now spends much of his time dashing through the middle and, as was the case last week, chops out in the ruck.

By size and position, they are clearly not your archetypal Aboriginal footballers and at some point on Sunday their paths will cross in what looms as a mouth-watering contest.

Goodes' long-time teammate, Michael O'Loughlin, believes both modern-day stars will sit comfortably alongside legendary Geelong ruckman Graham 'Polly' Farmer as the game's greatest indigenous big men once their careers are finished.

"We all know Farmer is an all-time great, he's a Hall of Famer," O'Loughlin told afl.com.au.

"Goodes will definitely be there. And Buddy... you'd probably put your house on that he'd make that transition to there as well."

Although Goodes and Franklin share many similar traits, their personalities are noticeably different. Indeed, when Franklin was recently racially vilified by a spectator in round four, it was Goodes who spoke the loudest about such appalling behaviour.

Franklin chose to keep his thoughts to himself, only to come out five weeks later and discuss his hurt and disappointment. 

They also took very different paths to the top of their sport.

Franklin had a football in his hand almost from the time he was born, and by the time he reached draft age in 2004, was one of the country's hottest young footballers.

Goodes only took up the Australian game in his mid-teens, and scraped onto the Swans' list with pick No.43 in the 1997 AFL draft.

"He [Goodes] was playing soccer most of the time, and just took up footy as a chance to have a kick with his mates," O'Loughlin said.

From there, however, both have given their respective fans innumerable highlights.

Take your pick of Franklin's after-the-siren goal to give the Hawks victory in the 2007 elimination final against Adelaide, his bag of eight in the qualifying final against the Western Bulldogs in 2008, or his two breathtaking running, bouncing goals against Essendon in 2010 as favourite 'Buddy' moments.

O'Loughlin believes the Hawk's 2008 season, in which he kicked 102 goals to win the Coleman Medal and his club's best and fairest in a premiership year, was one of the most influential ever played.

"I think I've heard Leigh Matthews say it's probably the best year anyone's ever had in terms of helping their team win the premiership, and I'd have to agree with him," he said.

"He had the ball on a string every game and whatever he touched turned to gold.

"It was just one of those very rare seasons that not many players have in the course of their career."

Like Franklin, Goodes, a member of the Indigenous Team of the Century, has turned many a game his team's way through sheer individual brilliance.

"I've seen him turn it on for most of his career, and some of the games, no one will play anything like it," O'Loughlin said.

One particular game sticks out.

"We played Carlton at the SCG in round 22, 2006.

"I remember when the Brownlow count came, it got to the last round and he was neck and neck with Scott West, and I just went, 'He's won his second Brownlow,' because that Carlton game he was just unstoppable, no matter what they tried to throw at him."

As Franklin spends more time in the middle, O'Loughlin believed at 31 years-old Goodes was almost doing himself a disservice by continuing to be so dominant in the midfield.

"I'd love them to keep him in the forward line," O'Loughlin said.

"But unfortunately for Goodesy he's so good in so many positions that if things are in trouble in the middle, he automatically just puts himself in there.

"He's a little bit like James Hird when he was at his absolute best.

"He just makes the decision, whoever's in there, 'one of you blokes has got to get out because I've got to get in there and exert a bit of authority.'"

The retired Swan has also enjoyed seeing the younger Franklin use his many talents in a different role this season.

"He's an excellent mark, he can kick from outside 50 comfortably, he doesn't have too many weaknesses," O'Loughlin said.

"You see him this year, he's playing up the ground and he's dominating games there as well."