Sheep, crops and "Buddy". It's a big week for Corey Taylor.
The 27-year-old farmer spends his work days rounding up sheep, as shearing season begins, or on the tractor at the family's Wannamal farm in the wheatbelt of Western Australia.
Come Saturday, he's tasked with the mammoth job of playing on one of the AFL's greatest ever players, Lance "Buddy" Franklin.
In news that has the region abuzz, "Buddy" is making a cameo for his junior club Dowerin Tigers, based about two hours east of Perth, in the Mortlock Football League season opener against the Gingin Eagles.
And while the Dowerin Town Oval will be heaving, with a crowd of more than 4000 expected and fans being bussed in from around the state, Taylor knows he'll have the best spot in the house.
"It hasn't sunk in that Buddy's playing and I'm playing on him. It probably won't until we're out on the ground and I see a legend of the game up close," Taylor told Zero Hanger.
"It's going to be difficult, I know that, but I'll try and stick to my strengths, back my game in while playing on an iconic player who will still have phenomenal skills.
"It'll be a bit of fun that's for sure. Hopefully I don't find myself in the same position as Cale Hooker did once."
Franklin, who retired in 2023, booted 1066 goals across his 354-game career with Hawthorn then Sydney and gave a generation of opposition defenders headaches.
So, how does Taylor shape up?
"I'll overexaggerate, could make Buddy nervous here couldn't I," he laughed.
"I'm 193cm and probably 93/94kg. I've played a few different roles over my career – lockdown roles on goal kickers and key forwards. Using my body is probably a strength of mine and reading the ball as well. I had a bit of a stint where I had a few intercept marks so that'll hopefully help me on the weekend."
Taylor's says giving Buddy a bit of lip isn't his go, and he'll be too starstruck, but it might be a different story for his Eagles teammates.
“There's definitely a couple of guys in the back pockets and on the half back that've got a bit of yap so I'm sure there'll be a bit flying around but all in good spirits," Taylor says.
For Taylor, the pre-game routine will include a feed of spaghetti bolognaise on Friday night then a lot of stretching either side of the two-hour drive to Dowerin on Saturday morning.
Buddy's appearance is part of a fundraiser to raise $300,000 to upgrade the lighting at Dowerin's home ground and there's no brighter star than Franklin to put the Tigers up in lights this weekend in the biggest game the league has ever seen.
