Sydney's most important player on Friday night may not be Lance Franklin, star midfielder Luke Parker or even returning skipper Josh Kennedy. In fact, he could be someone most football fans have heard little of.
Youngster George Hewett does not have the profile of his more accomplished teammates but the second-year midfielder is set for the key job on Adelaide's gun ball-winner Rory Sloane.
In the era of team defence, tagging is not as common as it was but there have been enough cases this year to show it's not a dead craft. Think Levi Greenwood on Joel Selwood in round six or Greater Western Sydney's Sam Reid on Brisbane star Dayne Zorko.
The Swans have made a habit of targeting the opposition's best rebounding defender this year but it's midfielder Sloane who has become Adelaide's barometer.
The one time Brownlow favourite has proven susceptible when sat on and so too the Crows. While they have still won games with Sloane having little impact, his numbers are markedly higher when the Crows salute.
The gun midfielder is averaging 25.5 disposals and 8.2 score involvements when Adelaide win but that drops to 18.8 and 4.5, respectively, when they do not.
Hewett has proven to be adept at the dark art of tagging. His biggest scalp is Norm Smith Medallist Jason Johannisen, who was limited to just nine possessions, but he has also performed soundly on Selwood and Richmond superstar Dustin Martin.
Used primarily as a forward in his debut year, Hewett is now being given more time in the middle. He is following in the footsteps of former captain Kieren Jack, who cut his teeth as a stopper before becoming a fine midfielder in his own right.
Jack has said playing on Gary Ablett, Chris Judd and Ben Cousins helped his development. Hewett said he learned plenty in his three-quarters on Selwood.
"I expected he would be very physical," Hewett said. "He's just a natural competitor, he keeps going harder and harder and harder.
"The way he goes about it you can't help but admire him at times. He's always good to watch when you're not playing.
"You have to be hard and clean on him. He doesn't do much wrong. That's why he's so well respected. He's as tough as they come. It was good to play against him and see what happens in there."
While it's in the midfield where Hewett's long-term future lies, he has become one of the Swans' more reliable kicks for goal at a time when the club has struggled in front of the big sticks.
Hewett has kicked 9.3 this year after managing 18.8 in 2016. He is also deadly on the set shot with a success rate of 89 per cent (eight from nine), placing him equal fifth for anyone who has kicked eight or more set shot goals this year.
"I had to work hard on it the past two years, it's a big area I tried to improve on," Hewett, who played his junior football as a midfielder, said.
"I knew if I could crack into the side I'd be forward and kicking goals is one of the most important things."
Hewett says he has about 10-15 shots after training - "not a whole heap just in case you're sore the next day" - for a 50/50 return. And there's not much science behind his approach either.
"When you're practising at training you feel comfortable in what you're doing," Hewett said. "Keep it simple, just kick it. Sometimes it is just as simple as that."
