Like his teammate Sam Day, who last week reached the 100-game mark, David Swallow hasn’t exactly taken the easy road to the milestone.
But on Saturday afternoon at Optus Stadium, the midfielder will finally play his 100th game and will get to do so in front of friends and family in his home state.
It’s been a long time coming, with Swallow’s journey at the SUNS starting when he was just 16-years-old, and the club were playing their first year in the VFL.
He was eventually taken with the first pick in the 2010 Draft, where current teammates Tom Lynch and Day were also selected.
Swallow wasted no time in showing what he was more than capable of mixing it with the best, with his ability to play the perfect blend of inside and outside football.
It’s no coincidence that Swallow’s 2014 season, which saw him crowned Club Champion, also happened to be Gold Coast’s most successful year so far.
Unfortunately, what followed were a couple of injury-riddled seasons that put a halt to his career progress, including a lengthy stint between games that lasted 630 days.
Fast forward to 2018 and Swallow seems to have put of all of his injury problems aside and is mixing his hard, contested style of footy with more time in the forward line.
The 25-year-old has been recognised as a leader at the SUNS for some time now, and his work at the coalface more than earns the trust and respect of his teammates.
He is averaging 28 touches to start the season, with more than half of those contested, and six tackles.
After battling through the last few seasons, he is thrilled to reach the milestone – even if there were doubts at times.
“It’s pretty special, especially given the last couple of years that I’ve had,” Swallow told goldcoastfc.com.au.
“Personally, it will be good to get over there and play in front of friends and family.
“Obviously there were times when I was struggling to get my body right and it (doubt) does creep into your mind, but the body's feeling really good at the moment and I'm enjoying being out there."
