Nick Daicos's rare talent is well known, but Collingwood veteran Scott Pendlebury insists the young superstar's leadership is shining as brightly as his skill.
The 20-year-old placed third in Monday night's Brownlow Medal count, with a knee injury in round 21 ruining his chances of claiming the AFL's highest individual honour in only his second season.
After a six-week absence, Daicos returned for Collingwood's preliminary final victory over GWS, and he will loom large in Saturday's grand final against the Brisbane Lions at the MCG.
Pendlebury, Collingwood's captain from 2014 until handing the reins over to Darcy Moore ahead of this season, hailed the overall impact Daicos has had on the club.
"His rise, I haven't seen anything like it in my time, with his ability to come in and influence games straight away," the Magpies' games record-holder said.
"Even on the weekend (against the Giants), just things late in the game, his ability to read some match-ups behind the play and adjust those for our team, as a 20-year-old, it's stuff that doesn't usually happen.
"Usually they're worried just about themselves and how they're going.
"Some of the things he did in the last three minutes, it's just great to have him back on the field, the leadership stuff that he can do already at his age and see the game the way he can is phenomenal."
Pendlebury will enter his fifth grand final as the oldest player on the ground after debuting in 2006 and playing 382 games.
The 2010 Norm Smith medallist has credited former Collingwood greats for putting him on the right path early in his career.
"Paul Licuria, Nathan Buckley, Scott Burns ... a lot of those guys said from 26, 27 onwards, if they had their time again, they would have put more time into their recovery," Pendlebury said.
"They said it would pay you back in spades when you get older, and I feel like I'm reaping the rewards."
