Stephen Fairless' entry in to the Tamworth Swans came at a time when the side struggled to win games.
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The year was 2013 and the Swans were wallowing toward the bottom of the AFL North West ladder. It was actually why he joined the Swans.
"I saw the two Tamworth clubs and saw the Swans were struggling so I chose the Swans because of that reason," Fairless, who had moved to Tamworth from Ganmain, said.
It would then take Fairless seven years to play finals footy.
He was captain of the side that year, 2019. It was the Swans first finals appearance since 2010.
But now, as the man better known as Sticky prepares for his 100th game for the club this Saturday, Fairless can proudly say he helped steer the Swans out of the woods.
"It means a fair bit with where we've come from," Fairless, who is also the Swans secretary, said.
"To keep turning up week in week out, getting beaten by a fair bit, to now get through that tough period and be able to turn up and know you're in with a chance to win each game. I think that means a lot.
"It means a fair bit [to play 100 games]. It's a club with a proud history and some really, really good players."
The chapter of the club's history currently being written is something that Fairless is also proud of.
He said it's great to see the crop of young players who have joined the team in recent years make their presence known.
"You got to see them start from scratch with zero experience," Fairless said of players such as captain Adam Cruickshank.
"They've all got athleticism in them, that's the number one thing, but it's been really good to see them grow into footballers and take the game on.
"Now they're all pretty much in leadership roles. It's rewarding and why it makes playing football a lot easier these days."
Fairless has now played in back-to-back finals series with the Swans and on the cusp of a third.
The Swans are assured a top four spot but what position they land in is dependant on the weekend's games.
The Swans take on the ladder-leading Tamworth Kangaroos in a local derby on Saturday. The other pivotal clash of the round is when New England host Inverell while Gunnedah take on Moree-Narrabri.
The Kangaroos will either finish first or second while the Swans can finish anywhere from second to fourth, pending results.
"This is a pivotal match, any game against the Roos is," Fairless said on Tuesday.
"The ground is looking great so hopefully we can play at No. 1 Oval, get a good game in front of a good crowd and show the community what AFL is all about.
"It's good when you get the two Tamworth teams in the finals, it means football's up and about in town."
The women's clash starts at 1.30pm on Saturday while the men will kick off at 3.30pm.
Ben Jaffrey
Ben is a content curator and journalist for The Land. He has been with ACM since 2015 and first worked at The Area News and then at the Northern Daily Leader. Ben first joined ACM Agri as a digital journalist for all seven agricultural mastheads in 2022 before shifting to The Land full-time in 2023.
Ben is a content curator and journalist for The Land. He has been with ACM since 2015 and first worked at The Area News and then at the Northern Daily Leader. Ben first joined ACM Agri as a digital journalist for all seven agricultural mastheads in 2022 before shifting to The Land full-time in 2023.
