IT'S FITTING Darren Wilson's 400th game is the night Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield faces his old side Adelaide for the very first time.
The veteran boundary umpire has officiated in some of the biggest games staged over the past 20 years and Friday night's clash between the Crows and Cats looms as one of the matches of the season for obvious reasons.
The 41-year-old becomes the first League boundary umpire to reach the magical 400-game mark.
"There have been a few memorable moments when I stop and think about it," Wilson told AFL.com.au.
"It's been a pretty long journey and I'm looking forward to running out there on Friday night in what should be a cracking game.
"I think for once the umpires will get less boos than one of the players."
A third-generation boundary umpire, the South Australian was lured to the vocation through blood and "$110 a game when most of my mates were working at McDonalds and getting about $6 an hour."
Wilson, who confesses "he's built more like an umpire than a footaller," quickly rose through the ranks of the SANFL and his razor-sharp memory recalls a baptism of fire at a heaving Football Park when the Crows first hosted Collingwood back in round eight, 1992.
"I remember field umpire Peter Cameron taking me under his wing and taking me out for a few warm-up laps to get rid of my nerves," he said.
"The Magpies ended up winning by five points and the crowd wasn't too happy with us."
And as his career progressed he found himself with front row seats to some of game's most memorable moments.
"I was on the back point post when Tony Modra took that screamer in the goal square against North Melbourne at Footy Park in 1993," Wilson said.
"You'll notice a baby-faced boundary umpire with his mouth wide open as he stood on Ian Fairley's shoulders.
"I was out there when Leo Barry took that famous mark to save the Sydney Swans in the 2005 Grand Final.
"And I witnessed Tony Lockett reminding Peter Caven not to stand in the hole and putting his nose from one side of his face to other."
When a footballer's career is judged, plenty of weight is placed on their performances in September, and umpires are no different.
So when you run the rule over Wilson's contribution to the game, the fact he adjudicated in 12 straight Grand Finals from 1998 to 2009 leaves him peerless.
His glowing resume also includes 36 regular finals, four night Grand Finals, four state of origin clashes, a international rules match and the 2016 Empire State Building stair climbing crown.
"In my spare time I decided to just run up a few buildings, which is something a bit different," the career firefighter joked.
"I managed to place a few times and then finally this year I cracked it for a win in New York.
"It's not the easiest event, but it's very rewarding."
Darren Wilson celebrates his Empire State Building stair climbing crown. Picture: AFL Media
So as he prepares for his milestone match at a packed and parochial Adelaide Oval, Wilson isn't contemplating hanging up the whistle anytime soon.
The love of a "physical challenge" and mentoring the next generation of boundary umpires keeps the fire in the belly burning.
"The body is feeling fine and I've had a rekindling of the fire by helping to develop some younger umpires," Wilson said.
"As long as I'm not holding back anyone, I'd like to keep going.
"And just recently my son Archer started to show some interest and said to me 'maybe I might do some boundary umpiring, too, dad.'
"It's definitely in the family."
