There's a multitude of factors that go into winning an AFL Grand Final. And whichever of Geelong or Brisbane emerges triumphant on Saturday will have nailed most of them.
There's the physical and the psychological, the structural and the strategic, the fundamentals and the tiny one-percenters which can add up. All will play a part.
But as the Cats and Lions square off for a fourth time this season, which are the handful of areas that either team knows if it emerges on top in, the upshot will be standing on the premiership dais? We reckon it comes down to these...
Moving the ball, and stopping the other mob doing it
Ball movement is all. Well, not everything, but broadly speaking, how efficiently Geelong and Brisbane both move the ball when they have it and how well they prevent their opponent doing so when they don't have it will go a long way to determining this year's premier.
Geelong is ranked No. 1 in the AFL for defensive 50 to inside 50 transition, the Lions third, but their last two clashes have produced a stark contrast in this area.
In Brisbane's 41-point win at GMHBA Stadium, the Lions cut a swathe through the corridor, and their quick transition allowed Logan Morris and Cam Rayner too much latitude up forward, the result eight goals between them.
But the Cats, as you'd expect, did their homework. Three weeks ago in the qualifying final, they closed down the exit avenues and hemmed the Lions in defensively, sweating on the Brisbane players awaiting Dayne Zorko's passes out of the back 50 and repeatedly forcing turnovers from which they scored.
Can Brisbane now find another alternate route, one which allow quicker and cleaner forward entries than in the qualifying final loss? Over to you, Chris Fagan.
Midfield match-ups and machinations
Numbers or quality? In the case of these two teams lined up against each other, it's definitely both. Geelong's midfield one-two punch of Patrick Dangerfield and Bailey Smith was too much for Hawthorn. Max Holmes was close to his best by the end. Similar levels from that trio again would go a long way to landing Geelong the flag.
Somehow, Lachie Neale has managed to make it to the starting line on Saturday, though there surely has to be some question marks over his durability. But Neale comes in at the expense of another injured midfield key, Jarrod Berry, who represents both numbers and quality. Is he the minus one Brisbane can't afford?
Geelong has tremendous midfield flexibility beyond its biggest stars, with up to three players in Oisin Mullin, Mark O'Connor and Tom Atkins able to perform midfield lockdown roles. Mullin did so brilliantly on Hugh McCluggage in the qualifying final, which raises a big challenge for Fagan in the coach's box.
Can Brisbane get more proactive if McCluggage is shutdown again? Fagan could send his midfield gun to shadow Bailey Smith perhaps. Or if Cam Rayner is up forward being marked by O'Connor, throw both in to the centre bounces forcing the Cats to alter match-ups for a more positive centre bounce mix.
Can the Lions neutralise Atkins' tremendous tackling and hard ball winning ability by having his opponents stand further off the contest? Beyond mere personnel, it's the manipulation of the midfield chess pieces by Scott and Fagan which will prove critical to the result.
How do the Cats tame Harris Andrews and how do the Lions react?
Two years ago, Collingwood's Billy Frampton played one of the best two-disposal Grand Finals in history, essentially playing a tagging role up forward on Brisbane co-captain and intercept powerhouse Harris Andrews, who couldn't ply his usual damaging wares for long enough and only became a factor after being released further up the ground late in the game.
Could Geelong consider using Rhys Stanley in a similar role on Saturday if he's in the starting 22? Particularly seeing how well Stanley's ruck replacement Mark Blicavs has performed this September.
Andrews being free enough to support his fellow defenders in defensive aerial dues and to help turn defence into attack is pivotal to Brisbane's speed of ball movement then cleanness inside 50.
If Geelong either slows him up or shuts him down, the Cats' status as No. 1 in the AFL for scores from turnovers and No. 1 for points from forward half is going to give them every chance of exploiting Harris's lack of drive with even more of their own.
Danger! Danger! Danger!
A no-brainer, really, but after producing one of the best individual finals performances of recent years last Friday night, Patrick Dangerfield, already a runner-up for a Norm Smith Medal in 2022, is primed to actually win one this year. And were that the case, only the foolish wouldn't expect that would also mean a Geelong premiership.
Dangerfield started on-ball opposed to Brisbane's Josh Dunkley in the qualifying final before pushing forward to be manned up by Darcy Gardiner. He was a handy contributor without being one of the best on ground.
And his previous outing against the Lions, his 350th game, when the Cats lost at home to Brisbane by 41 points in Round 15, was a dirty night for both he and his team. That might have Fagan and co. on high alert, too, however, given how strong is the 35-year-old's professional pride.
Make no mistake; Dangerfield's ability to burst from midfield stoppages, cleanness of ball-handling and capacity to break into space then dish off damaging handball to teammates on the fly are potentially the most single most potent weapon out there on Saturday.
Will the kids be all right?
Finals are big, pressure-packed games. Grand Finals? Perhaps a different beast again, the ball flying around, the unexpected rearing its head, the game going by in the blink of an eye as the stars prosper, but more damagingly, the overwhelmed freeze on the big stage.
It takes cool heads and often experience to emerge unscathed. Do these two September perennials have enough? Of course, you'd think superficially, but then have a look at the line-ups and maybe think again.
Two of Brisbane's best last week were big key forward Ty Gallop, playing just his fifth senior game, and midfielder Sam Marshall, in his 10th. Both are just 19, and among seven players under the age of 22 (Geelong with only two, Connor O'Sullivan and Jhye Clark, in their win).
Can Gallop and Marshall pull out another big one on the biggest stage of all having no doubt inspired some even more thorough opposition analysis?
What strikes you about the Lion cubs is how many have already performed well on the big stage. Will Ashcroft is a Norm Smith medallist, Jaspa Fletcher and Darcy Wilmot have been big finals contributors, Logan Morris kicked two goals in last year's Grand Final and Kai Lohmann four. If all can find something close to their best again on Saturday, Brisbane is a massive chance.