Jimmy Bartel reckons he was like this from day one, a cheeky kid who was buoyed by constant banter with housemate Cameron Ling. Kelly concedes it took him a while to learn to pick his moments; a funny face pulled on player photo day springs to mind. "Early in my career I had the balance way out."

Now 30, he commands the respect of an elder statesman whose twinkle in the eye keeps all around him on guard. No specific teammate is presently "in the gun", although he thinks Billie Smedts is "right on the edge" and Steven Motlop not far behind him. "They don't want to poke the bear, those two."

This is Kelly the clown, the great clubman who Bartel says keeps the vibe "happy and light-hearted". His prankster's rap sheet includes depositing Joel Selwood's locker in the club swimming pool; Kelly says Bartel's return shot on his captain's behalf (filling his pigeon hole with No More Gaps) "didn't end well".

In an environment that can be achingly serious, this side of Kelly is treasured. But never more than his qualities as a footballer, one who competes for every ball as if it's the last that will come his way, tackles like a clamp, yet moves like oil on glass and delivers like the US Postal Service motto.

"He's just fundamental to what we've been doing for a long time at our footy club," coach Chris Scott says of a player he thinks flew under the radar before earning All-Australian honours in his 10th season.

Bartel says he's simply been a star, one whose norm is so high that observers "just put that away, expect him to be really good". And he has been. "Every year he's put out has been a good year."

Having moved from in-and-out midfielder to defence this season with stunning results (he also spent 2009 in the back pocket), Scott thinks he might actually be defying the age graph by improving. He cherishes Kelly's capacity to meet a new challenge, adjust, and continue to shine. "I think that's a mark of a really good player - it's one thing to be a specialist, but then to be able to spread your wings and prove to be an elite player in a different position is a credit to him."

Kelly describes himself as "not the best midfielder or defender", but a footballer who has managed to do different things well. "That's increased my value." Bartel thinks his tackling and physicality can mask the smooth mover. "People focus on one thing of his that's really good and they miss how good he is at the other areas of the game."

Kelly likes the educational aspect of a new role, says he's learnt more about the game this year and that returning to defence has forced him "to change the way I train and where I train". He concedes he might have improved a little, "but physically it's a downward slide from about 200 [games], I'm probably in the middle of that".

Milestones, it's said, are only numbers, and to this he has a very Geelong take - so many of his peers have reached the mark before him, it feels almost normal. In his 15 years at the club five players have finished up with a games tally above 250 (and Cameron Ling just below on 246), but Ian Nankervis and Sam Newman remain the only Cats to play 300 (see panel).

Corey Enright (281), Bartel (266) and Kelly could all get there; famously, the end can come so alarmingly fast it's not impossible that the prankster could have the last laugh. "One thing we know is it happens quickly," Scott says. Bartel adds: "He's still super fit, he's got time on his side, he's playing great footy. I can't see why not."

Whenever it ends, Kelly knows he's come a long way from the beginning. Recalling round six, 2002 (Bartel and Gary Ablett's sixth game, Steve Johnson's first too) sends a cringe-worthy memory of "fumbling in the warm-up, getting in everyone's way ... I was a nervous wreck". Coach Mark Thompson's efforts to calm him were fruitless; he ran out to stand Lion Nigel Lappin a quivering mess.

He soon settled and has never felt insecure about his place in what duly became a great team. Kelly says he's long known he can do things others can't, "and they could obviously do a lot of things that I couldn't". Which segues nicely to the story behind a nickname bestowed by Ling, "Ball Sports Kelly", an ironic moniker poking fun at his abject lack of ability at every sporting endeavour involving a ball, bar footy.

He plays along, agreeing here at least with Scott's observation of overall betterment. "I feel like I've improved at change room cricket and soccer."

Told that his last outing, against GWS, was the first time he'd failed to lay a tackle in 103 games, Kelly vowed to make amends ASAP against North Melbourne on Saturday night. This points to a quality Smedts and Motlop should keep in mind if they're thinking of making a pre-emptive strike: James Kelly is rarely beaten.