Matt Rowell enjoyed it more when Nick Daicos was on his team at school, but the Gold Coast warhorse admits it'll be a different kind of fun trying to stop Collingwood's young star in what could become one of the AFL's great rivalries.
The pair will meet again on Saturday at Heritage Bank Stadium, Daicos taking the first points with a 37-disposal game in his rookie season when the Magpies ran down the Suns to win by five last year.
Carey Grammar's super team also included Suns standout Noah Anderson with Daicos in year 11 when he helped the Gold Coast pair to a premiership in their senior year.
"We had some good memories ... every lunch time we'd be out on the oval kicking the footy around," Rowell said.
"It's pretty cool to be out there competing against each other in the AFL.
"I can't say I've thought about it that way, in terms having a lot more years to come but thinking about it now that is pretty cool."
Daicos is likely to spend more time in the midfield than the forwards, creating a true Yin and Yang battle between his fluid creativity and Rowell's brick wall-like brute force.
"If he's in the midfield you've got to get some body on him and stop him from getting his run up and linking up with his one-twos, he's very good at that, with his run," Rowell, who is averaging a competition best 8.5 tackles per game, said.
"I think that's something we'll try to do."
Suns coach Stuart Dew said the second-year star was "clearly the best player in the comp at the moment" and tagging him has so far proven futile.
"Other teams have targeted him and it feeds his motivation," Dew said.
"They'll (Anderson and Rowell) enjoy that challenge; they love coming against the big names and midfield groups.
"They predicted he'd be doing this at AFL level, so it's no surprise."
The Suns (7-7) expect their Carrara stadium to be near capacity in one of the most anticipated clashes in years.
Victory against the 12-2 ladder leaders would be a statement of intent from a club yet to play finals since its 2011 inception.
"It's come at a good time, we get a good sighter of where we're at," Dew said.
"We feel like we match up well; they play an aggressive brand we have to try and match, but push back as well."
Co-captain Touk Miller (knee) is training strongly but isn't expected to return until at least next week's clash with Port Adelaide.
