Two years after being axed by Hawthorn, Collingwood's Ned Long is preparing to go up against Brisbane's midfield beast Josh Dunkley in a preliminary final.
Long has been an unlikely hero in the Magpies' surge back up the ladder after their gap year out of the finals following the 2023 premiership.
The 22-year-old has played every game for the Magpies this year after being taken as a speculative pick in the 2024 mid-season draft.
A tall, big-bodied midfielder, Long has added a different element to Collingwood's on-ball brigade.
Standing at 194cm, he isn't dissimilar to the almost-as-tall Dunkley, who is coming off laying an all-time finals record 18 tackles in the Lions' semi-final smashing of Gold Coast.
"He's an incredible player," Long told AAP about Dunkley.
"He's had a great season.
"They (Brisbane) have got a lot of amazing players in their midfield, (Hugh) McCluggage and (Will) Ashcroft, it's a really good line-up, and it will be a really good test for us.
"(Dunkley's) also got a great balance of offence and defence, he's just a really well-rounded player.
"He's probably someone I look at that I like to take some things from, and I guess mould my game off a little bit.
"He's an incredible player and it'll be a good challenge."
Even as he endured a form slump towards the end of the home-and-away season, coach Craig McRae and his team showed faith in Long.
His work in creating space for superstar Nick Daicos hasn't gone unnoticed.
"It's been great, giving me a lot of belief, and that sort of set me up for the year I've had," Long said of McRae's influence.
"I've been lucky throughout the whole year with the coaches and the players around me.
"It's really helped me focus on my strengths and feel like I can play a consistent year.
"(Daicos and other established Collingwood stars) are obviously great players, but they're also great team players.
"(They're) really selfless, and they just want to see the team win.
"Being able to play alongside them, it makes my job a lot easier."
