To understand why Jamie Maclaren is eager to play in his first Melbourne derby, you have to go back to his first taste of Edinburgh's soccer rivalry.
A year ago, the Socceroos ace had secured a loan move from his German home in Darmstadt to Easter Road, home of Scottish club Hibernian.
"It was a Friday night, so cold, a home game and I didn't know what to expect," he told AAP.
"I didn't understand the hype around the fixture but the city stopped for a whole week.
"There was a massive build-up and then we played in front of a full house, 25,000 fans, all fanatics.
"We won 2-0 and I got on the scoresheet. The celebrations, sliding in front of the fans. We were already 1-0 up and my goal was like 'goodnight'.
"You become an instant hero. I didn't pay for a drink that weekend, I didn't pay for a meal.
"The Edinburgh derby was fantastic and if this is anything like it, it'll be unreal."
Maclaren is on the way to replicating his fair start in Scotland - a goal in the derby and a winner against fallen giants Rangers in his first month - after two goals in two matches for City.
He's not anticipating a similar level of animosity on Saturday given the Melbourne derby has less than a decade of history, where as Hearts and Hibernian first squared off in 1875.
Under different circumstances the 25-year-old might have been wearing navy blue in the fixture, having admitted to talks with Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat at different points in his past.
"Fans probably won't like hearing it but I respect Victory. I respect Musky highly and what he's done for Australian football," he said.
"They're a club that's done fantastically. They're the champions. You have to go in respecting them."
Despite Maclaren's goals, City come into the clash with just one point from their past four matches.
They're long odds to upset high-flying Victory but Maclaren said Victory's rags-to-riches championship win last year gave City a template for success.
"People underestimate how much a win can give confidence to a side. And what better win than in a derby," he said.