That's why Melbourne's Colin Sylvia is so important - he's a game changer.
On Sunday at the MCG, he was instrumental in the solid start Melbourne made against the Gold Coast.
At times, he was a football alchemist, turning disposals into scoreboard pressure.
"We set it up for ourselves quite nicely in the first quarter," Sylvia said.
"The intensity was up [and] that sense of urgency to really get off to a good start set us up for the rest of the game."
Melbourne's midfield had prepared well, putting in work to analyse the Suns' strengths and arriving with a plan.
"They have been playing some very competitive footy in the past month and we knew not to take them lightly today and to get off to a good start and jump them," Sylvia said.
Alongside him in the middle were Nathan Jones, Jack Grimes, Jack Trengove, Cale Morton, Jeremy Howe and the big, competitive ruckman Jake Spencer.
While Sylvia set a standard in relation to ball use, other players showed their strengths too.
According to Jones, Spencer's role was critical.
"He's 200cm and 100kg; he really throws his weight around," Jones said.
"He has not played many games. [He's] pretty inexperienced, but the effort and competitiveness he puts in at the centre bounces is what we're after."
It set a standard for pressure that his teammates followed.
The effort of Grimes to chase down and lay a big tackle on the Suns' Zac Smith after a centre bounce when the Suns were threatening midway through the second quarter was a turning point.
Luke Tapscott ran back with the flight of the ball on more than one occasion while Trengove kept working as hard as any man can.
The co-captain impressed Sylvia. "I'm so happy for him. He's been working so hard," Sylvia said of Trengove.
"The defensive side of his game would be the best of the club. He runs so hard throughout the game and does not get rewarded as much as he probably should."
It wasn't a perfect performance. The Suns' Gary Ablett and Harley Bennell were brilliant, a dynamic midfield duo that were impossible to stop.
Both Sylvia and Jones were full of praise having watched them from close quarters. They know how good Ablett is and now they know how good Bennell might be.
And through it all, Howe just kept leaping on his way to six contested marks. It's not a bad result for a midfielder.
Sylvia laughed when Howe was mentioned. He's becoming that sort of player that brings a smile to everyone's face. "As soon as we see Jeremy Howe one-on-one we just kick it to him and know he is going to take the grab," Sylvia said.
But that was not all the Demons' midfield did this week. Its ball movement was as good as it has been all season.
And Sylvia was the architect, his persistence one of the untold stories of Melbourne's season.
"The wheel is starting to turn," Sylvia said.
