From careless kid to big brother and top dog, Ryan Griffen will celebrate his 200th AFL game against North Melbourne.
If Lenny Hayes' feting last weekend at Etihad was about farewelling the most loved bloke in the AFL, this Sunday will be about cheering the nicest one.
It was April 2005 when Griffen first graced a footy field in Bulldogs colours, in a Subiaco shootout that went the way of West Coast.
Coming off the bench, the 18-year-old South Australian taken at number 3 in the 2004 draft kicked a goal with his first kick.
Searching back through records of the game, you're hard pressed to find a Bulldogs fan who wasn't pleased with his efforts.
Fast forward the clock 10 years later and you still won't find one.
Griffen's career has featured four finals campaigns - three sadly stopped in preliminary finals - and 199 games.
On Sunday, now elevated to the role of club captain, Griffen will lead his Bulldogs side through the banner in his 200th.
The softly spoken Griffen said it felt like yesterday he made his debut as a "careless kid".
"It took me a few years to realise how hard I had to train ... my standards weren't there for the first few years," he said.
"I had a lot of good guys around me like Scotty West, Luke Darcy that really trained me up well.
"I realised I had to lift my standards and that's when I started to play better footy."
He certainly did.
The two-time Bulldogs best and fairest winner said he didn't think he'd get to this point when he started, but is now relishing the Bulldogs' top job.
"I love captaining the club, and ... to make 200, I'm over the moon."
His coach Brendan McCartney is just relieved to have Griffen on his side.
"Coaching against him I loved watching him, fearful of what he could do to us," the former Geelong and Essendon assistant said.
"I still find myself watching him sometimes, marvelling at some of the things he does," he said.
At a club where the development of players as men is as important as their growth on the field, McCartney said Griffen's growth to a Bulldog leader had been extraordinary.
"He's sort of like a big brother," he said.
"There are captains who are strong and firm and make great speeches, and there is Ryan.
"(The players) all love him.
"They know that he cares for them deeply, they're important to him."
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