Geelong will be looking to extract revenge on Brisbane for last year's heartbreaking preliminary final loss in next Thursday's clash at the MCG.
The two powerhouses will once again meet in a finals match, with the Cats hosting the Lions in a qualifying final.
Youngster Connor O'Sullivan watched his teammates fall just shy of a grand final berth from the sidelines in the penultimate weekend of 2024, which has subsequently left a "sour taste".
Since then, the Queensland club has held its nerve against the perpetually contending Cats, winning both clashes in 2025 by nine and 41 points, respectively.
"Probably (lingers) less for me, but probably a few other boys have a bit of a sour taste in their mouth, and obviously playing them twice (this) year and they've done us both times, so they are a really quality opposition," O'Sullivan said.
"Speaking to some of the boys that obviously I'm pretty close with and played in that game. For example, Shauny (Mannagh) and Lawson (Humphries) getting to play in their first final series.
Obviously, you never want to lose to a team like Brisbane in such a big game like that. So for them, I think that they'd be hoping to turn it around and hopefully get the win, as you do in any final.
"You dream of it as a kid, and to get the opportunity at the MCG to be able to play against a club that we've had some big games against recently, it's a massive prospect and I'm super pumped."
O'Sullivan's rise to stardom is yet another example of Geelong perfectly managing and equipping their youngsters prior to unleashing them on the AFL.
The Pick 11 of the 2023 National Draft was given only a minor taste of top-flight football in his maiden campaign, playing one match. He has since added 22, missing just one this season.
But O'Sullivan's form is keeping a host of impressive Cats out of the senior side, whose injury list is looking bare heading into September, making for an intriguing watch at the selection table.
Only project ruckman Toby Conway is listed as injured, with Mark O'Connor cleared ahead of the first final.
"It obviously puts, not necessarily pressure, but it invites us to probably play our best footy, knowing that we've also got some good players around us ready to go," O'Sullivan said.
"So for us, I think as a footy club as a whole, it's really exciting, the fact that the coaches at least have pretty much a full plethora of players to select from, and hopefully that'll hold us in good stead for the finals series.
"It's obviously very hard (for players who miss out). And unfortunately, we were only talking about this yesterday. There are, unfortunately, always hard-luck stories and blokes that feel like they should be in the team, and probably deservedly so.
"I feel like a lot of the time you're playing for the club as a whole, and a lot of those guys miss out on the opportunity. But for me last year, I feel like it only made me want to improve it and put my best foot forward this year."
