Almost roundly dismissed when it was suggested before their first semi-final, the prospect of Mayo's Aidan O'Shea man-marking Kerry's Kieran Donaghy was not something most of us expected to see.
Yet, as we look toward the All-Ireland final this last Sunday, the story of O'Shea vs Donaghy remains one of the most memorable moments of the 2017 championship.
Although Mayo eventually came out on top in the replayed semi-final, many were left unconvinced as to whether Stephen Rochford's tactical risk actually worked - Donaghy continued played a pivotal (albeit varied) role in the opening match.
Speaking to AIB ahead of this Sunday's final, the 'reactor' of this duo reflected on this incident:
We were in each other's faces throughout both games, real physical stuff and when one of us won a ball, we weren't long in letting the other man know about it.
Very little of what was said could be printed here but, if you'd recorded it, I'd say RTÉ or even Sky would pay a nice few bob to get a half-hour long show out of it.
Although Donaghy was 'half-expecting' that O'Shea could be sent to mark him at some stage throughout the first game, he could not believe they sacrificied one of their best players to come down and 'scrap' with him.
Identifying a crucial moment in the battle that will be clear in the mind of those watching the game, Donaghy recalls the effect it had on what he would do next:
Early on that first day I got my hand on a bit of ball and was able to lay it off, but I was struck by the reaction of the Mayo crowd the time O’Shea won a big ball.
Stephen O’Brien sent in a high delivery and I wanted to get up for it, but I felt one hand on my shoulder and O’Shea got his fist to the ball. He then came out with it, and the roar from the Mayo supporters was the very same as if two goals had gone in.
I learned a lesson from that. From then on, I knew that I had to starve Mayo of that boost so I brought him on a bit of a tour of Croke Park.
Understandably, given O'Shea's relative inexperience in this role, Donaghy could certainly be said to have got the better of his counterpart on this opening day. However, due to Bryan Sheehan's late miss, they would have to go again.
With Kerry trailing and their place in an All-Ireland final all but gone, Donaghy looked a man who had finally had enough close attention.
Labeling (and congratulating) O'Shea the aggressor to Donaghy's reactor, the Kerry forward would end the replayed semi-final prematurely; two quick jabs to O'Shea's face were enough to earn him a red card.
Having not thought about whether or not he will make himself available for Kerry next season, you can read more of the O'Shea duel and Donaghy's thoughts on Sunday's final here.
