He plays for the club in a way that he didn’t previously at GWS. Not to denigrate GWS, but it was a point of their youth that it was about his teammates, not the heft of history that he carried with him. “I think it adds something when you come and play for the club you followed as a kid,” he said. “Up at the Giants it was all about the players, the club didn’t really have a culture or a history, it was so new and it was developing so it was 'play for the boys' whereas here it is the club - the staff, the boys, the fans.” When he left the Giants there were a few other clubs interested. But when Collingwood came for him it seemed a natural fit. Football might be professional, but you also cannot too quickly divorce yourself from your childhood loves. “A couple of other clubs were interested but when the Pies jumped on board late I was just like ‘well I absolutely loved them growing up so yeah,’” he said.

“I am very excited … to play my first final for the Pies is unreal.” The move has not met with universal appeal in his house. His mum and sisters are pleased – they are Pies fans – not so much his dad and little brother. They still insist they are on the Hawks. “Dad reckons he is still Hawk but he wears the Pies hoodie to the game so I reckon he is a Pie. He reckons the Pies will win if we play Hawthorn in a final, he reckons he is going for the Pies to win if we make it.’’ Hoskin-Elliott was taken at pick four in the draft by the Giants, but in his last year there only played two games. Last season, his first year at Collingwood, he was serviceable without being stunning. He was top 10 in the best and fairest and looked to have something.

This year is different. This year he has booted 39 goals and been a matchwinner several times, including kicking a career best six goals against Freo. He has become part of the difficult, multi-pronged forward line of medium-sized forwards – with Jaidyn Stephenson and Jordan De Goey - who are good overhead but very quick and nimble at ground level. “The connection between the whole forward group is better (this year), everyone is willing to help each other out, there’s a lot more blocks, a lot more team play in our forward line this year. Everyone is playing for each other and the connections we have got have been a lot better than previously.” Part of that connection centres around Mason Cox. The sheer size of the key forward is so intimidating that teams are aware they can’t leave him to one player to defend so defenders invariably sag off to help out. “It’s unreal playing with 'Coxy,'” Hoskin-Elliott said

“He attracts two or three defenders every time he goes for the ball so if you are at his feet or at the contest you are a chance to get the ball. “You notice it all the time you are running back inside 50 and your man will just sort of slide off and go to his contest but it’s coming to ground so I am not complaining.”