If you thought visions of red-hot Collingwood star Steele Sidebottom would interrupt West Coast stopper Mark Hutchings’ sleep this week, you’d be wrong.

Hutchings faces the task of curbing the most lethal opposition midfielder most weeks.

Sidebottom is having a blistering finals series and looms as the likely target for Hutchings for the third time this season after he spent time on him in round 17 and in the qualifying final win.

Sidebottom’s talent was illustrated when he finished runner-up to Tom Mitchell in Monday night’s Brownlow Medal count.

Hutchings will find out today who he will play on.

“I sleep pretty well, I try and sleep as much as I can,” Hutchings said.

“I don’t mind a 12-hour sleep occasionally, so it certainly doesn’t affect me.

“I think about it while I’m at the club, but as soon as I get in the car I stop thinking about it.”

Hutchings said he did not offer the coaches an opinion on who he should go to.

“They are the ones that go through hours of vision and make the decisions, so I just do what they tell me to do,” he said.

Hutchings kept Sidebottom to 18 disposals in their 35-point win at the MCG, but the brilliant Magpie was harder to blunt in the Eagles’ 16-point qualifying final triumph at Optus Stadium earlier this month.

Sidebottom started forward, but still managed to have an influence with 27 disposals.

The 27-year-old amassed 41 possessions against Richmond last Friday night.

“There’s been a lot of talk about Sidebottom and how well he’s going and he’s a good player, so he’s certainly in the back of my mind, but I’ll just be guided by the coaches because they are the ones who make the decision,” Hutchings said.

“I know what type of player he is, but he also knows what type of player I am, so I guess it will just come down to who plays better on the day.

“He uses the ball well, he’s clean, there’s no fumbles with him and he’s a good runner, so he can turn up and get to those contests.

“He’s been playing really well in the finals, so he’s got those strengths, as every good player in the AFL does. They don’t have

too many weaknesses so you’ve just got to do your best in minimising those.

“It’s a challenge and sometimes I can nail it and sometimes it’s hard and I don’t quite nail it. Hopefully I nail this weekend.”

Hutchings had 21 disposals and a goal in the 2015 grand final loss to Hawthorn. He said all players always wanted to perform on the biggest stage of all.

The West Australian, who grew up supporting the Eagles, said he hadn’t take much time to reflect on his journey, recovering from the scrapheap at the end of 2010.

“I’m not too nostalgic, I kind of just live in the now,” he said.

“Nostalgia will come after your career is done because while you’re here you are so busy on to the next session, on to the next meeting, so you are too busy to think ... about the past.”