In 2005, a wide-eyed Shane Watson sat down to pick the brains of Andrew Flintoff, the England all-rounder and hero of that year's Ashes triumph.
Three years later, as Watson's stocks defied his team's downturn during the tour of India, the seeds of advice Flintoff planted in Watson's brain sprouted in a burst of blinding clarity.
As he continues to ponder his participation in the first Test against New Zealand starting in Brisbane on Thursday, Watson said his meeting with Flintoff, then cricket's most destructive player, was only now starting to pay dividends.
Few cricketers have approached the game with as much perseverance and infectious optimism as the injury-cursed Watson, whose rise to prominence was aided by Australia's frantic search for a "Freddy clone" in the wake of Flintoff's buccaneering efforts in pursuit of the famous urn.
In his bid to emulate Flintoff's heroics, Watson picked the brain of the big Lancastrian on the art of the all-rounder. Watson said he was only now starting to understand the knowledge Flintoff imparted, with the Indian tour the catalyst to unlocking the meaning within the message.
Flintoff stressed to Watson the difficulty of excelling at both batting and bowling at any given time, urging him to accept the fickle nature of the tools of their trade. But when both disciplines were firing, he said, the feeling of invincibility was as intoxicating as it was inspiring.
"I always expected to be able to do both (bat and bowl) absolutely perfectly and contribute heavily with both aspects," Watson said.
"But I remember in 2005 I sat down and had a chat to Freddy Flintoff about being an all-rounder. (He said) it's either your bowling's going really well or your batting's going really well. But when it comes together in one day or one game, you feel like you're just about invincible.
"Throughout that Test series in India, I understood exactly what he's saying, being able to go through it. Sometimes I was able to contribute with the bat, at the start of the tour especially and then mentally had to make sure I was up for my bowling as well. And vice versa.
"It was a massive learning curve, especially on that aspect. It makes a lot of sense what Freddy said."
Even invincibility may not be enough to warrant a place for Watson at the Gabba. With chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch keen to play a specialist spinner and a concerted push for Andrew Symonds to make his Test return, the unlucky Watson could yet make way, despite his good form on tour.
The glum skies over the Queensland capital could yet be the ace up his sleeve, with more dark clouds predicted this week dramatically increasing his chances of playing on a Gabba track destined to be hugely sympathetic to swing and seam.
That scenario would mean off-spinner Jason Krejza would carry the drinks. As he looked to the skies and contemplated his fate yesterday, the spinner conceded any more rain could "take him out of the equation".
Watson admitted he still did not know where where he was going to fit in - or even if he would.
"If it's overcast like this it definitely gives me an advantage because of the way I bowl. That doesn't mean I'm going to get picked either," he said.
Watson insisted he was ready for the task if selectors took the option of selecting him as the third seamer, a notion floated by former captain Steve Waugh earlier in the week.
"I feel like the way my bowling's improved I feel I'm able to get picked as a bowler. I've been able to improve over the Test tour of India and I felt I was able to really contribute to the bowling group," Watson said.
"If I get the opportunity I'd love to have a crack at it. There was three quicks in the last Test match and two spinners and I felt I was able to hold up my end really well and get some wickets as well."
Watson admitted his batting dropped off late in the tour of India, a situation he hopes to correct if given the chance this summer.
He spent much of yesterday afternoon working in the nets with Greg Chappell, who was focusing on Watson's techniques against slow bowling in particular.
"It's good to have someone like Greg Chappell around to work on a few things with me to keep developing my batting. It is an evolving thing I really enjoy and he's just trying to get the best out of myself. It's been great to have a bit of his feedback," Watson said.