Some players are born for the big stage. Jacob Hopper is one of them.
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Howard Clark realised as much in the 2015 Herald Sun preliminary final. Hopper was playing for St Patrick's College, and as the school's former coach recalls - he didn't disappoint.
"He was outstanding," Clark said.
"St Joey's Geelong absolutely belted him all day, and I mean really belted him.
"There were two people on him the whole day and as a result, it freed someone else up.
"He sacrificed his game that day for the sake of the team, he was really selfless."
St Pat's won the game. It was one of two premierships Hopper enjoyed in Ballarat before he was drafted to the AFL in 2016.
Now on Saturday, the St Pat's product will play on the biggest stage of them all when he lines-up for the GWS Giants in the AFL grand final.
Clark said Hopper would be ready.
"He is a real leader of people and I don't think he is going to get overawed by the occasion," he said.
"The way he plays has helped him have a really good finals series.
"He was second best in the qualifying final and certainly played really well against Collingwood.
"He will always get his hands on the footy, which is the job of an inside-mid and he will certainly do that."
Hopper played in the midfield as an 11th grader alongside Dan Butler and Liam Duggan who won AFL premierships in 2017 and 2018. A win this week would see Hopper join the exclusive club - a reality that isn't lost on the trio who remain close friends to this day.
"We all got together at the end of last year and had a coffee. We were laughing saying it was Hopp's turn to get a premiership. It's amazing now to think he has that same opportunity," Clark said.
Win or lose, Clark said it was great to St Pat's represented in another AFL grand final.
"It's great, there have been a lot of people in Ballarat that have had a big influence on him," he said.
