As his 250th game fast approaches, Patrick Dangerfield is feeling wiser, calmer and more comfortable about his footy.
The Geelong midfielder will reach the milestone in Friday night’s clash with Hawthorn at GMHBA Stadium when the 2020 AFL season resumes after a three-month hiatus.
Having ticked over to 30 years of age earlier this year in what is his 13th AFL season, Dangerfield suggests he is now in his prime after admittedly taking a while to really settle at the elite level.
“From 26 to now is when footy felt almost the easiest,” he said on SEN’s Whateley.
“You’ve been in the system long enough, you understand the game, your knowledge of the game is far better than when you first started, which is just natural. Your body has acclimatised to the crash and bash of AFL footy and you’ve really understood what it takes for you to get up each week from a physical standpoint.
“That’s just natural. It’s what players when I first stated my career always said. The best time of their careers was when they were around that age bracket and that very much echoed my thoughts on it.”
Dangerfield is also confident his overall footy IQ has continually improved the longer he has played even if the learning process is an ongoing thing.
“Early in my career everything was just bull at a gate,” he added.
“There are other players who just get the game from a really young age and Pendles (Scott Pendlebury) is probably the perfect example. Just had time and space and understanding from such a young age, but for me it’s taken a bit longer to really grasp it and get a hold of it.
“I think it took some time and I’m certainly still learning, and I think you are always learning throughout your career. The older I’ve got, the calmer you become in a crisis versus the, not panic, but the unease that can settle in when a team gets a run-on or whatever it might be.
“The only way to gain experience is to experience.”
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Does 250 games carry a significance for Dangerfield?
“Yeah it does,” he said further.
“When I first started playing I had a junior coach, Leon Harris, who has done some recruiting at the Brisbane Lions of late. His philosophy was, ‘You haven’t made it until you’ve played 100 games’.
“I’ve always sort of carried that philosophy. The longer you play and reach different little milestones, it’s certainly a time to reflect and just be grateful for what I’ve been able to be a part of, and that’s the AFL community.
“It’s such a special work environment to enjoy.”
The former Adelaide star will become the 251st player in VFL/AFL history to reach 250 games. He boasts a Brownlow Medal, four best and fairests, an AFL MVP and seven All-Australian selections among many other individual accolades.