Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs face off on Saturday in a huge game as far as the eventual top eight is concerned.
Both teams boast deep midfields capable of turning games, but which is better?
The Bulldogs bat deep with Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae, Lachie Hunter, Tom Liberatore, Bailey Smith, Pat Lipinski, Toby McLean, Rhylee West, Mitch Wallis, Caleb Daniel and Ed Richards all capable of rotating through there.
Melbourne has an explosive group in great form, with Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver, Angus Brayshaw, Jack Viney, Ed Langdon, Adam Tomlinson, Tom Sparrow, Aaron vandenBerg, Nathan Jones and James Harmes.
Individually, Petracca, Oliver and Viney are having career years, while Bontempelli and Hunter have had their ups and downs in 2020.
Garry Lyon believes the Dogs are still head, but feels the margin is tightening.
“I think the Bulldogs midfield goes a bit deeper and at this stage might do a little bit more damage, but the gap is closing very quickly,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.
“So Bontempelli versus Petracca, try to work that one out. Petracca has had a better year than Bontempelli, Bontempelli has had a better career.
“Oliver and Macrae, both prolific ball-winners, then you’d go Viney and Smith, Brayshaw and Hunter.
“Then Dunkey and Liberatore would have it over Langdon and vandenBerg, so I think the (Dogs) go a bit deeper, but we’ll find out on Saturday.”
Former Essendon midfielder Tim Watson was a little more emphatic in favour of the Bulldogs.
“I’m going Bulldogs, I think they go deeper, I think they’re more talented,” he said.
“I think Bontempelli has proven he’s a match-winning type player, I think Petracca has got the potential to be that, but I don’t think he’s done it yet.
“I think Smith is a wildcard for me. I think in terms of the inside midfield and the way that they play him around stoppages takes advantage of his pace and his explosion and he’s got a great capacity to run from stoppages.
“I think they’ve still got Melbourne covered in that area.”
Sitting 8th and 10th respectively on the ladder and separated only by percentage, Saturday afternoon’s clash at Metricon Stadium looms as one of the bigger games left on the 2020 calendar.
Which team has a better midfield at full strength - the Bulldogs or Melbourne?
— Garry and Tim (@SENBreakfast) August 18, 2020