IT'S hard to believe that two 21-year-olds are already their teams' most important players, but that's the case with Collingwood's Travis Cloke and Hawthorn's Lance "Buddy" Franklin.

Today at the MCG we will be in for a treat. They will both be on display, at opposite ends of the ground, in a game that should determine Geelong's keenest rival.

The rise of both young men to positions of prominence, not just with their club but within the AFL, is quite staggering. And the parallels between the two are amazing.

They were born a month apart in early 1987. They are both 196 centimetres tall and weigh just over 100 kilograms. Both are left-footers. Today, Franklin will play his 63rd senior game, while for the Pieman it will be game No. 62.

In the space of 3 years they have come a long, long way after being taken as 17-year-olds in the 2004 national draft.

Back then, Travis was a big brute of a boy who some thought was a bit soft and precious. If he was, he is not now. As the youngest son of former Richmond and Collingwood champ David Cloke, Travis was always considered the one most likely.

David's eldest two boys, Jason and Cameron, were both taken by the Pies. Both were handy footballers but were never going to be stars.

Nevertheless, it was felt that Collingwood showed excellent management skills because, by taking Jason and Cameron, it ensured the youngest and by far the best brother would end up a Magpie.

Under father-son rules, Richmond could have taken Travis had he and his father wanted as much. But, with the two older boys in black and white, that was never going to happen.

Last season Travis came of age. As a 20-year-old and in only his third season, he won his club's best-and-fairest award, the Copeland Trophy. He wasn't playing with either brother because both had been moved on by Mick Malthouse.

Franklin was taken by the Hawks at pick No.5 in the 2004 national draft. Alastair Clarkson had just been appointed coach and he was hell-bent on drafting young, tall talent. "Buddy" was all of that and more.

AFL recruiters say they have never come across such a supremely confident kid. His self-esteem and belief in himself was through the roof. Here was a teenager who had never hit a hurdle, never had a setback and believed he could do anything he liked - on and off the field.

Watch him play and you will be enthralled. No big man covers the ground as swiftly as he does. He will take a dozen marks and spill just as many. He averages an amazing nine shots at goal a game. One day he will kick eight straight, the next, like last week, it will be one goal seven behinds.

I like the fact that he smiles when he plays. If he drops a mark or misses a certain goal, he doesn't get down on himself as plenty of other players do. Buddy knows he is good enough to create lots more chances, whereas the mere mortals know they can't.

As exciting as Franklin is, there are flaws. He is not overly brave. He will duck his head in marking contests, he doesn't like the unknown. Don't expect him to run back with the flight of the ball as Nick Riewoldt and Jonathan Brown do, and don't expect him to think to make space or block for fellow forwards.

To a certain extent he is uncoachable because he acts on amazing impulse and instinct, but I think coach Clarkson handles him well. He gives him space close to goal so he leads out to meet the ball and he has convinced him to chase and tackle when required.

A real positive is that Buddy's teammates like him. Footballers will make allowances for special talents and on-ground innocence.

But Buddy will never captain the Hawks because it's all about me, not we.

Travis, with a level head and another year or two of experience, will be a future Collingwood captain.

While both are key forwards, they have very different roles. Travis will spend most of his time outside the forward 50-metre are. He will lead up to the flanks and wings. He will take and give more hits and wear more bruises than Buddy.

Cloke will be very conscious of creating for his teammates, whereas Buddy's teammates will be very conscious of creating for Buddy.

The bottom line is that both are special players who will be the key to their teams' hopes for the next decade.