THE MOST crucial battles aren't always the direct ones.

How a key forward performs compared to the big brute in the same role down the other end can be just as important as how many disposals a tagger restricts a star onballer to.

This week's Stats Files looks at one such match-up from each of the first four finals that might play a significant role in which team comes out on top.

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Jack Riewoldt (Richmond) v Jack Gunston (Hawthorn)

The All Australian Jacks are major keys for their sides but do their damage in quite different ways. Riewoldt secured his third Coleman Medal with 65 goals, which amounted to 21.7 per cent of the Tigers' majors (fifth in the AFL).

Throw in his 27 score assists (19.8) and he places No.1 for scoreboard impact (545 points) too, with Gunston (437) placing sixth.

Gunston's 48 goals were the second-most at the Hawks behind Luke Breust's 52, but that still made up 17.3 per cent of his club's overall tally (14th).

Richmond targets Riewoldt with 33.4 per cent of its inside-50 entries compared to Gunston's 15.1 per cent at Hawthorn. Gunston actually spent 22 minutes minding Riewoldt in their round three clash this year in a sign of his versatility.

The Hawk is an expert in finding space, winning 11.4 of his 17.9 disposals in an uncontested fashion, whereas Riewoldt rates elite for contested marks, forward-50 marks and forward-half pressure. Expect Dylan Grimes and James Frawley to match them up, respectively.

Clayton Oliver (Melbourne) v Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong)

Dangerfield has been in rare form over the past month, averaging 34 disposals (19.3 contested), one goal, 6.5 clearances, 4.8 tackles, 4.5 inside 50s and 481.5 metres gained, coinciding with a slight uptick in midfield time.

He is still being used far more in attack than recent seasons, spending 16 and 17 per cent of his time there in 2015 and 2016 before jumping to 26 per cent and 38 per cent the past two years.

Only Dangerfield and Tiger Dustin Martin averaged at least 25 disposals, one goal and 1.5 score assists per game this season.

Any notion that Oliver doesn't do damage with his possessions increasingly looks off the mark. Like 'Danger', Melbourne's first-time All Australian has cranked it up in the latter stages of the year. Oliver averaged 6.6 score involvements between rounds one and 15, but bumped that up to 9.2 thereafter – good for fifth in the AFL and first at the Demons, as he spent 19.3 per cent of his time up forward.

Oliver ranks No.1 at Melbourne in 14 categories, ranging from disposals to hardball-gets to pressure points.

George Hewett (Sydney) v Josh Kelly (GWS Giants)

These two have never played on each other, but that might change on Saturday night. Hewett is fresh from an excellent stopping job on Hawthorn's Tom Mitchell, where he also won a career-best 12 clearances. It was the fourth time in 2018 he amassed double-digit clearances.

Among Hewett's scalps this year are Mitchell (twice), Dustin Martin, Clayton Oliver, Patrick Cripps and Giant Lachie Whitfield, the sole 'outside' player the Swan manned.

Therein lies the complexity here: Hewett could go to any of Whitfield, Kelly, Steve Coniglio or Dylan Shiel. His tagger rating of +28.9 per cent – the negative impact he has on his opponents' expected output – ranks ninth among midfielders.

Kelly has copped a close tag (a minimum of 40 minutes as a match-up) only three times this season and performed pretty well on those occasions. GWS lost only one of Kelly's 16 career games with 30 disposals or more. He will be keen to bounce back from a 19-touch effort against Melbourne in round 23, when Nathan Jones and James Harmes played on him.

Jeremy McGovern (West Coast) v Jeremy Howe (Collingwood)

The Magpies are set to regain their No.1 intercept marker, Howe (3.1 per game), as their answer to his Eagles namesake (3.7). They arguably boast the best sets of hands in the competition and are so good they force opponents to avoid them going into attack.

McGovern, a key defender, has launched an AFL-leading 14 scores from intercept marks, while general defender Howe's 10 ranks equal-11th.

Collingwood's makeshift backline held up surprisingly well without Howe. The Pies were less likely to pluck a mark from an opposition kick but conceded fewer points per match in the past month (69.2, ranked second) than the first 19 rounds (79, ranked ninth).

Neither player is considered a lockdown defender, with McGovern having 15 match-ups of at least 40 minutes this year – although some were when he was playing forward – and Howe only 11. They each rank elite for contested possessions, intercept marks, winning one-on-ones and intercept possessions in their position. Howe also rates elite for marks and spoils, and has the edge over McGovern in metres gained (357m to 235m).