Port Adelaide's Willem Drew will notch a significant milestone on Friday July 26, becoming the second person in his family to achieve such a feat.
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The Warrnambool-raised 25-year-old, a three-time Hampden league premiership player with Koroit, notches his 100th AFL game when the Power take on Carlton at Marvel Stadium.
The midfielder's uncle Adrian Gleeson played 176 matches at the highest level with Carlton in the 1980s and '90s, one of which was the Blues' 1987 grand final win.
His cousin Marty Gleeson narrowly missed out on triple figures, playing 97 games with Essendon between 2014-2021.
Drew admitted it was nice to share the achievement alongside his uncle, another Koroit export.
"It is pretty special I suppose, I haven't really thought about it too much," he told The Standard.
"Obviously our families are really close and he had a massive impact on me, as have a lot of other people in my family as well.
"I think of my dad and mum and how proud they are of me and my brother and sister as well, so it's a pretty special occasion for my family as well."
Drew's journey to 100 games hasn't been straight forward since the Power selected him with pick 33 in the 2016 AFL draft.
Foot injuries restricted him to just 10 games in his first four seasons however he has rarely missed a game since, cementing himself as a crucial piece in one of the league's most damaging midfields.
He was also elevated to the Power's leadership group in December 2023, not long after inking a four-year contract extension which sees him tied to the club until the end of the 2028 season.
Although not his focus, Drew was pleased to tick off the milestone.
"I've been at Port now for eight years, I've got a couple more to go but it's been a great journey so far and something I'm really proud of," he said.
Almost eight years on from playing a starring role in Koroit's 2016 grand final win - his final game for the Saints - Drew maintains a strong connection with the club.
"I follow along Koroit very closely and whenever I get a chance to get home I always make sure I pop in and watch," he said.
"I owe so much to the Koroit Football and Netball Club. My coach Adam Dowie at the time, he's been massive and I've kept in contact with him all throughout my career.
"I've kept in contact with a lot of other past players and current players as well so I think they've been massive for me and probably another one in particular is Chris McLaren, who's always been that mentor for me as well.
"I'm really grateful for having a lot of great people in my life."
Another figure who has played a significant role in Drew's development is Power coach Ken Hinkley.
Hinkley, a Camperdown export, has been the 99-gamer's only coach at Alberton and is someone he holds a great deal of respect for.
"He's been massive ever since I got to the club and I suppose it's sort of that connection to South West Victoria," he said.
"I've said it before but he's someone who's just always there for you and you know he's been through it as a player, he's been through it as a coach and he's got so much experience so he can always read what's happening and is just a massive support for us boys.
"(I'm) very grateful having him as my coach."
Matt Hughes
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
