An encouraging display from Mitch Clark in his opening NAB Challenge clash with the Gold Coast Suns has Cats fans talking.

Could this be the return of a devastating two-prong tall timber attack for the Cats?

Tom Hawkins and Clark combined for four goals in tough conditions with both players alternating between full forward and the lead up role at centre-half forward.

The best part was that it was nearly two years since Clark had played football at the highest level. He looked rusty but more importantly the signs were there of his ability.

Clark’s two best goalkicking returns in a season were 2011 (27 goals from 19 games) when he was the main target for the Lions with Jonathan Brown playing just 10 games and 2012 (29 goals from 11 games) when he was the Demons only tall avenue to goal. Clark is yet to play consistently as a forward with another key target such as Hawkins.

Whilst the Cats have had some intimidating forward combinations during the recent years of success including Nathan Ablett and Cameron Mooney, Mooney and Hawkins and Hawkins and James Podsiadly, they haven’t been as significant a combination as some of yesteryear or even some of the combinations currently in the AFL.

Clubs look with envy as the Swans line Buddy Franklin and Kurt Tippett beside each other and backmen have a tough time containing the Hawks Jack Gunston and Jarryd Roughead.

But are the days gone of duos such as Jason Dunstall and Dermot Brereton, Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas, Alistair Lynch and Jonathan Brown and, of course, North’s terrifying John Longmire and Wayne Carey combo behind us?

Or can Hawkins and Clark help bring back the heyday of crash and bash forward duos?

Across their history, the Cats have had some of the most intimidating combinations the game has seen. Let’s take a look at the best.

Gary Ablett and Billy Brownless

Geelong supporters of the 80s and 90s need to realise how lucky they really were. Not only did they get to see Gary Ablett show why he was the game’s greatest player but his foil, Billy Brownless, was such an exceptional player in his own right. Brownless was big, agile and had a beautiful kick on him. It is almost a sliding doors moment to think what he would have been if he wasn’t second banana to Ablett most of the time. The two dominated together in 1992 to kicking a total of 151 goals between them, around about a third of the side’s goals for the year.

Fred Wooller and Doug Wade

Wooller began as the Cats full-forward but with the arrival of Wade was pushed out to centre-half forward and that’s where he shone. Players such as Goggin, Lord and Vinar would have cracked a smile when running towards goals they had the option of Wooller or Wade to kick to. After Wooller’s retirement in 1964, Wade would reach his full potential as a full forward including booting 127 goals in 1969. In the premiership of 1963 they returned a total of 68 goals which was a third of the team’s goals for the year.

George Goninon and Fred Flanagan

There was no wonder the Cats won a record 23 games in a row and back to back flags in the 1950s when they had George Goninon and Fred Flanagan patrolling the forward 50. The duo in their five seasons together kicked a combined 65, 103, 81, 82 and 78 goals from 1950 til 1954. Some say Goninon’s omission from the 1953 grand final side cost the Cats a chance a three-peat of flags.