IT'S the people’s champion up against the self-proclaimed champion - who will win?

A handball competition between two club greats on Thursday night will decide who can really call themselves a legend of the Port Adelaide Football Club, as both go head to head and pave their way to glory.

This week’s ‘Talking Footy’ on Thursday night will be extra special with Port Adelaide champion and Magarey Medallist Russell Ebert and ex Port hero and current Magpies General Manager Brian Leys joining the team.

The two Port Adelaide veterans will also be competing for ultimate glory: winning a handball competition. The winner will stake their claim as ‘the best’ and earn bragging rights at the club.

Both have been talking up their handballing abilities, each hungry to win and prove that they are the ‘greatest’ Port Adelaide players.

The winner will take home the ‘Leys/Ebert Cup’ - a trophy given to the one who prevails and it will be carried around with pride.

Russell Ebert is looking forward to the competition and is adamant he has what it takes to go all the way.

“The upcoming handball competition between myself and Brian Leys has me extremely excited - in fact I don’t think I’ve been this excited for years and years. I probably won’t sleep the night before,” Ebert said.

The Port Adelaide legend is talking down his opponent and believes handballing is his forte`.

“I can’t seem to understand how Brian Leys could come into a competition involving something that he never ever did - which was handball!

“Leys was a very good player, but very reluctant to handball even sometimes in the warm up - so I’m really eager for the competition.

“There’s no doubt that I will beat him,” he said.

Brian Leys is ready for the heated contest and is certain he will be the one holding the trophy on Thursday night.

“I am the self-proclaimed champion and come Thursday night I would’ve beaten the people’s champion, said Leys.

“I will become the greatest because I would’ve beaten ‘the greatest.’

He describes Ebert’s claims to him being unable to handball as ‘ridiculous’ and believes the era which he played football was a much better standard than when his rival played.

“As to Russ saying I can’t handball, I’ve watched some of the 70s and none of them could handball because the game was so far behind where it was when some of us better players played the game,” he said.

The handball competition will begin at 6:30pm, for bookings call 08 8447 9902