THE GEELONG best-and-fairest award in 2017 will be a quinella of Paddy Dangerfield and Joel Selwood, as it was last year.
There is no secret about that. Injury permitting, it's merely a matter of who comes first.
The duo remains the main key to premiership hopes.
Of looming near-importance, though, is a 27-year-old who has played just 11 games for the Cats.
Geelong insiders have been in awe of Zach Tuohy's impact in 2017.
To those people, he would be coming third or fourth in best-and-fairest voting, with Mitch Duncan the other standout player during the first half of the season.
West Coast's Elliot Yeo would be the only other player in the competition standing in his way of a Virgin Australia AFL All Australian nomination in the backline.
Until Geelong traded with Carlton for Tuohy in October last year, it didn't have leg speed in the backline. It now does.
It didn't have a player able to ferociously tackle opposition forwards, and now does. It didn't have a prolific and regularly penetrating kicker through that part of the ground. It now does.
Tuohy's impact at the Cats goes beyond his numbers. His work in the backline has helped the always-important Andrew Mackie to return to near-career best form, and has also assisted Tom Stewart to ease himself with aplomb into his debut AFL season.
Of 89 "general" defenders (not key-position players) who have played five or more matches this season, Tuohy ranks fifth for overall disposals (27), seventh for metres gained (485m), and eighth for score involvements (six).
Tuohy is the only general defender in the top eight in all three of the above categories, as compiled by Champion Data.
On paper, Geelong took a risk in securing Tuohy, as it required giving Carlton, with whom he made his AFL debut in 2011 and represented in 120 matches, its first round pick in the 2017 national draft. The Blues also got Billie Smedts, and gave back to the Cats their second pick in the same draft.
Joel Selwood and Zach Tuohy share the joy of a win. Picture: AFL Photos
There won't be a massive gap between those picks, quite possibly as little as two places by the completion of the 2017 season.
Other clubs, including North Melbourne, considered recruiting Tuohy, and are now rueing their indecision.
Geelong players and coaches have loved the addition of Tuohy, and speak glowingly on and off record about the former star Gaelic footballer.
His effort to nullify Eddie Betts in round 11 as well as providing his usual run out of defence was arguably his best of the season, which had already seen him perform similarly effectively against Cyril Rioli in round four.
Tuohy gets things moving earlier in the year against Hawthorn. Picture: AFL Photos
"It's crucial that you're able to take risks off half-back," Dangerfield said this week. "He's been playing the game for 10 years and he's the best kick in our side, which is unbelievable when you think about it, but he has been a huge addition to our side.
"He's really good overhead, reads the ball well, and to have those ball winners and ball users across half back, it is crucial to starting those scoring chains."
Geelong people are listening to the merits of Tom Mitchell, Brad Hill, Jordan Lewis, Dion Prestia, Caleb Marchbank and others in conversations discussing the recruit of the year.
They're listening, but they've already decided their man can't be beaten.
Twitter: @barrettdamian
