GWS star Jesse Hogan is expecting former Fremantle teammate Alex Pearce to run straight to him before the opening bounce of Saturday's game at ENGIE Stadium.
Hogan and Pearce would have been close working partners in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, with Hogan stationed at the Dockers following his four-year stint at Melbourne.
But despite battling during training, the pair have rarely been seen together in opposing guernseys, as records show only one crossover since, Round 23, 2022.
Hogan, fresh from a Coleman Medal-winning season, slotting 68 goals in the home and away campaign, is expecting his old friend to line up alongside him.
"Yeah, I think he will," Hogan said.
"He missed Round 23 (last year), the big Moose. He's a tough opponent. He's a top-five back in the competition. It will be really exciting to play against Alex.
"I've got nothing but respect for him, I think he's a star, but he needs a bit more continuity in his body.
"I look forward to these match-ups against some of the very best backs in the competition."
The Giants power forward is arguably in career-best form after a stunted start to 2025 due to an unusual incident that resulted in a broken thumb.
Hogan has kicked 25 goals, which is largely thanks to hauls of nine (Round 4 against West Coast) and seven (Round 9 against Geelong), to sit second in the Coleman race behind Gold Coast's Ben King (28 goals).
The 30-year-old also ranks as one of the best goal converters in the competition, with an accuracy percentage of 71.4.
Adelaide's Darcy Fogarty (77.8 per cent) and St Kilda's Jack Higgins (71.9 per cent) are the only ones who sit above him, but have notably had fewer shots at goal.
"It's a massive mental thing," Hogan said.
"If you miss the first one, you don't know when your next opportunity is going to come, and it's pretty hard to play up forward, so you're ability to move on and forget that one is important.
"I put a lot of time into (my goalkicking), so come game day, I feel like I've done the work."
