Midfielder Ben Cunnington says his impending 100th game for North is nothing more than a building block for the season ahead.
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The 23-year-old, who made his AFL debut against Hawthorn in round five, 2010, will notch the milestone when he takes the field against Adelaide at Adelaide Oval this Sunday.
Cunnington said he’ll reflect on his achievement down the track and is more focused on the start of the home and way season.
“The 100th game is just a bonus, it’s a pretty good milestone deep down but it’ll mean more towards the latter stages of my career,” Cunnington told NMFC.com.au on Wednesday.
“All the hard work is paying off but I can’t look at it thinking, ‘I’ve made 100 games, my career’s done’.
“I’m more excited to start round one and the real footy.”
Cunnington’s parents, fiancée, sister and two brothers will all be attending the Roos’ season-opening clash to cheer him on.
The Syd Barker medallist said the occasion is a “pretty big deal” for his family, acknowledging the sacrifices his parents made over the journey.
“When you look at it in that way, it is (satisfying). From growing up back on the dairy farm (in Cobden), it was a bit isolated; my parents had to do a fair bit of running around and they supported me,” he said.
“In that way, it means a lot for all the hard work and all the behind the scenes stuff ... just for them to see it finally come through and reaching this milestone means a fair bit.”
Cunnington said his grandfather has also had a profound impact on his development.
“He's been there as long as I can remember. He's been my number one supporter since day dot,” he said.
Despite the personal achievement, Cunnington’s attention quickly turns to the on-field battle against Adelaide and he is confident the side stacks up well against its opposition.
“They’ve (the Crows) got a pretty good midfield, they were right up there with the clearances, and even with (Patrick) Dangerfield, (Scott) Thompson up there, it’s definitely going to be a huge test for us,” he said.
“I feel we’ve got the numbers and the experience and we’re up to the challenge.”
The 185cm on-baller said North hasn’t taken too much out of its “rusty” NAB Challenge opener against the Crows in Port Lincoln last month.
In that game, the Roos entered the final break trailing by 50 points, before registering six unanswered goals in the last quarter to lose by just 10 points.
“Both teams knew we were going to come up against each other (in round one), so (I’m not sure) whether they were doing the correct structures or not,” Cunnington said.
“We’re still confident the way we’re lining up and we’ll just play our way.”
Cunnington said the team is “excited” and prepared for the hostile environment at Adelaide Oval.
“It’ll feel like a final over there. The Adelaide supporters will definitely get down to the ground and cheer them on,” he said.
“You get nerves, you get dry in the mouth but that’s footy ... it’ll definitely be a home-ground advantage but we’ll just take it in as well.
“From a team point of view, we’re ready to go.”
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