On Saturday, when the Demons take on the Kangaroos at Etihad Stadium, Brad Green will become just the eighth player to reach 250 matches for the club.
It’s an outstanding achievement, given the challenges associated with landing on an AFL list, playing at least one match and then thriving at the highest level.
Green has done that and more.
But for the likeable 31 year-old, the milestone has “crept up” on him after a tough 2012, which has been interrupted by injury and indifferent form.
“When you’ve been in and out of the side with form and injury, it’s not something I’ve thought too much about,” he told melbournefc.com.au.
“[I’m] very honoured and pleased to have played 250 games for this great club and it’s something that I’ll cherish once I finish and look back upon it.
“But I’ll take the four points, rather than the 250 games, for sure.”
Green will become the eighth Melbourne player to reach 250 matches, joining David Neitz (306 matches), Robert Flower (272), Adem Yze (271), Jim Stynes (264), Steven Febey (258), Brian Dixon (252) and James McDonald (251).
But being in this company doesn’t sit easily for the humble Green.
“It’s something that when you’re put up amongst those names, you’re a bit shy about it,” he said.
“Sometimes you don’t think you should be up amongst those names, and they’re the great players of our club and our history.
“It’s something that I’m very proud of, and something I’ll cherish.”
Drafted at No. 19 in the 1999 AFL Draft, Green made his AFL debut in 2000 and has missed just 39 matches in almost 13 completed seasons. His consistency, durability and ability to play forward, midfield and defence have been features of his career.
And his journey is something he hasn’t taken for granted.
“I keep saying to the young boys that time does fly. It goes quickly and at the end of ’99, I turned up at the Junction Oval not knowing what I’d got myself into,” he said.
“I was living with a host family and moving over straight away [from Tasmania] and getting into my first pre-season and getting my game first game in round two, 2000 against the Kangaroos on Friday night footy.
“And then playing finals and playing in the grand final in my first year was unbelievable and I thought that was a given for us - we’re going to play finals and in grand finals year in, year out.
“But as we know, it’s a tough industry and we haven’t been back and played finals for six years, and we haven’t been in the grand final since then.”
Green has played nine finals for Melbourne - including the 2000 grand final - and rates these as his highlights, although he rated some other home and away fixtures as some of his fondest memories.
“Certainly the finals footy are something you reflect on. Playing big games in finals - that’s what we’re training our butts off in pre-season and that’s why we turn up day in, day out to get better and play finals footy and hopefully win a flag, which we haven’t done since ’64,” he said.
“Finals footy - no doubt - I’ll reflect upon greatly, and you reflect upon the games where you were down and out and we got up and won. You’ve got to look at the Brisbane game at the MCG when Aussie [Wonaeamirri] was carrying the ball and kicked that goal. And Jimmy [Stynes] and Aussie’s Dad were there celebrating after the game.
“I remember the Fremantle game, when we were down by 50 points at one stage, and we came back and overran them at the MCG. Those little games are the ones that you think about - and I’ll cherish those with fond memories.”
Reflecting on his 2012 season - which started when he was relinquished of the captaincy after one season - Green has since missed six matches through injury and was an emergency in round three.
He will play his ninth match of the season this round, and has relished the challenge of returning with some strong form.
“It’s certainly something that I haven’t been used to, because I haven’t missed big patches of games and I’m not a good watcher - I hate watching footy - I want to be out there with the boys,” he said.
“It’s a challenge - no doubt - but I love a challenge and any time anyone wants to throw me a challenge, I’ll take that on and try to be better. So when things come your way [and there is] a bit of a roadblock, you take it on and you take that roadblock on and see where we can take it.
“I won’t die wondering - that’s for sure. And that’s probably been reflected in the past month - I’ve taken the game on and enjoyed my footy the last month and it’s been great. I’m enjoying playing with the boys, but we just need a win and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
But the past two matches have been Green’s best for the season. He has booted five goals and is playing every match with renewed enthusiasm.
“I’ve just wanted to get out there and play and enjoy it, and give the side a bit of excitement and not put too much pressure on myself to go over and above what I need to,” he said.
“[I want to] get out there and enjoy my footy again - it’s not every day you get to run out on the MCG, Etihad [Stadium] or the best stadiums in Australia to play against the best players.
“I thought to myself ‘I’m just going to enjoy it and enjoy it for what it is’. I don’t know when the last game’s going to be, [so I’ll] get out there and just play.”
As for how his 250th will pan out, Green said he will treat the match like any other, although aware of the occasion.
“I’ll treat it like any other game. I know it’s not any other game, but my preparation will be treated like any other game,” he said.
“I’ll have some friends and family … and no doubt people will try and drum it up a little bit. It is another game and another game of footy we’ve got to win and get better at. That’s the way I see it, and I’ll take it as that.
“To me, it’s special - and it’ll be a special day no doubt - but I’m going out there to win the four points, rather than worry about the 250 games.”
But Green said it was an honour his family and friends would get a lot of satisfaction from.
“No doubt, my parents are very proud of what I’ve achieved and my family and my wife and my kid and my new kid on the way - we’re two weeks away from a new baby - so family is number one to me,” he said.
“They’re the ones I cherish and footy comes second - we’ll see how we go.”
