Keeping calm and composed under pressure in front of 99,597 screaming fans at the MCG is no easy feat.
Doing it with the high stakes of a Preliminary Final, against an old rival and in your 25th AFL game is even more difficult.
But Jhye Clark stood tall and handled the occasion with the utmost class on Friday night, entering the game as the substitute after quarter time and producing a number of big moments.
The young Cat finished with 14 disposals and four clearances in Geelong's Preliminary Final victory, adding three score involvements and two intercept possessions in a strong performance.
After getting the early call up into the contest, Clark said his teammates helped to keep him ready for when the moment arrived.
"That is the thing with the sub, you can go on at any time," Clark told Cats Media.
"Jack [Henry] went down and I thought I might be going on, but he was fine. Then Stewy went down a couple minutes later.
"You just always have to be switched on.
"The whole coaching staff and all the players are so good for me, keeping me in the moment."
Chris Scott was also impressed by Clark's performance, noting that he had a real influence during his post game press conference.
"A little shoutout to Jhye Clark," Chris Scott said in his post game press conference.
"He has been on the edge of our team for a long time and to come in and play the way he did in a Preliminary Final.
"I don't believe in that idea that one performance is the making of players, but hopefully we will look back and say that was a bit of an inflection point for Jhye."
Clark started Geelong's Qualifying Final as the Cats substitute, but entered the game much later than he did on Friday night.
It has been the first taste of Finals football for the young Cat, and the two biggest crowds that he has ever played in front of.
Speaking with Cats Media following the game, Clark said it was a dream come true to be featuring on the big stage.
"The crowd was so loud, I played in the Qualifying Final but first year of playing Finals," Clark said.
"It is so sick, all the boys were elite and it was unreal.
"It is so loud out there, it is so cool to be a part of.
"You grow up going to Prelim Finals and stuff like that, but to be on the ground and part of it is unreal."
