One of my favourite quotes from John Lennon goes like this: “If there is such a thing as a genius, then I am one”.

This memorable line from the late former Beatle came to me unexpectedly this week when I was poring over this weekend’s preliminary final teams, who each possess a particular kind of genius.

Hawthorn, Geelong, Brisbane Lions and Collingwood each possess a master of the intercept mark, in James Sicily, Tom Stewart, Harris Andrews and Darcy Moore, respectively.

The Lennon line also reminded me of my former Western Bulldogs teammate and Hawthorn premiership player Brian Lake. Let me explain.

I have long regarded Lake as a football genius, but unlike Lennon, whose genius spread from musicality, to songwriting to activism, my old teammate’s vein of genius was reserved for one t

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