You don't get much closer than Collingwood teammates James Aish and Matt Scharenberg.
Taken a pick apart in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft by different clubs only to be reunited at the Magpies two years later, the South Australian pair catch up on most of the team's days off.
Once SA junior teammates and now neighbours in a Melbourne bayside suburb, the two regularly dine together and see each other in Adelaide when they go home to visit their families at Christmas.
It's that closeness that makes it all the more difficult for Aish this week as he prepares for the Grand Final against West Coast, with Scharenberg to watch from the stands after wrecking his knee in July.
"There's probably not much you can say, directly," Aish said on Monday.
"It's pretty hard for him and he deserves to be out there.
"It would be pretty hard to watch."
Scharenberg's awful run with injuries and Aish's own physical and consistency issues that plagued him after being traded from Brisbane in 2015,
When Aish went down with a posterior cruciate ligament injury in late April, Scharenberg was there to lend his support and advice.
And, when Scharenberg popped an ACL for the third time in round 19, Aish – who was close to his return to the AFL field at that time – returned the favour.
Matthew Scharenberg's season came to a premature end after a serious knee injury.
This week, for the likes of Scharenberg, Lynden Dunn, Tim Broomhead and Daniel Wells, all of whom suffered season-ending injuries this season, it's about making them feel part of it, even if they won't be on the field.
It's all to do with the close nature of the team, strengthened this season by an emphasis put on embracing their own individual skill sets and getting back to simply enjoying the chance to implement them.
"It's hard for them, but I guess it's just trying to get them to realise the impact they've had in the team, for the guys who have or haven't played, just how they help the club," Aish said.
"'Bucks' has always made a note of the impact they can play in training or just around the club as well, then just being there as a mate still is the main thing."
There's no official timeline on Scharenberg's return from his third reconstruction, with the focus now on getting him in the best shape possible to do as much of the pre-season as he can.
Aish says they'll catch up as normal during the week and expects Scharenberg to attend Saturday's decider, supporting his teammates before and after the game.
