Red-hot Lion Marcus Adams is proving the perfect sidekick for unflappable Brisbane vice-captain Harris Andrews as the pair prepare to tackle Richmond's twin towers on Sunday.
Adams is getting better every week and was his team's best player in Saturday's thrilling one-point victory over Geelong.
The former Western Bulldog was given the assignment of stopping Tom Hawkins - a man who has traditionally terrorised the Lions - and kept him goalless.
Not only that, Adams took an incredible nine intercept marks to launch Brisbane's attack.
✍️ The votes are in - Marcus Adams is the Player of the Round! pic.twitter.com/vq3iwquevU
— Brisbane Lions (@brisbanelions) August 19, 2019
Things get no easier this weekend though, as he prepares to take on likely match-up Jack Riewoldt and Tom Lynch in a blockbuster contest at the MCG that will shape the top four.
"The beauty about the big teams, the big players, is you see them a lot," Adams said.
"I feel like we get a lot of Richmond, Geelong and Hawthorn on TV, even up here.
"You spend a lot of time watching them. (We've got) another week to delve into it."
Adams has now played seven games - all wins - since coming into Brisbane's team in round 16 against Greater Western Sydney following a lingering knee injury.
He played two matches as a forward, but since being moved into defence has improved week on week.
Andrews is in line to make his first Virgin Australia AFL All Australian team this year, and Adams said he was the ideal security blanket.
"He's a star," he said.
"It's so nice that if you get caught out, he just comes flying over the top with his Inspector Gadget arms.
"There was a few (against Geelong) when I thought I was done and then the big arms came over."
Adams said he was "gun shy" in his first few matches but had been given the confidence by his teammates to play "his way" in recent weeks, resulting in 12 and 10 marks respectively in the past fortnight.
A win would secure Brisbane the minor premiership, but it could still finish anywhere from first to fourth.