Rejuvenated Lavington captain Luke Garland is planning on being a one-club player as he looks to celebrate his 200th game against Wangaratta Rovers on Saturday.
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It led to constant off-season speculation the 29-year-old would finish at district level.
But Garland has bounced back to form and while he hasn't torn the competition apart, he had a number of typical touches in the last game against Wodonga Raiders, nailing a long kick for team-mate Grange McMahon and intercepting a pass to set up another major for Jack Kirley.
"I've got my body sound again, I just couldn't get any consistency the last couple of years, I'd come in for one game and then miss three, then I'd come back for another two to three and then miss again," he explained.
"So consistency and match fitness is hard to build up when you're not playing regularly, but I had a really solid pre-season."
Given the improvement in Lavington's youngsters and the ability of the recruits to quickly settle in, Garland is no longer needed be the star he had to be as he looks to play his role in the milestone match.
"It's probably my proudest moment really," he said.
"It's something that when I started playing seniors, it's something you set out to do I reckon.
"In a day and age where there's been a lot of player movement, to stay loyal, it means a lot to me."
Given his standing in the O and M - he captained the interleague team last year - Garland has naturally been targeted by clubs.
"I've got family connections at some district clubs and obviously Jindera comes up most years," he said.
"But at the end of the day Lavington is my home club and if I get to stay there for the rest of my career I'd be extremely satisfied with that.
"I just love the place and the people involved with it, it's a really good club.
"When I first started playing footy there, there was a strong core of senior players, like 'Timber' (Tim Sanson) and 'Rex' (John Hunt) who were loyal and I think that got instilled in me from a young age, that's what I pride myself on.
"I'd like to, as the years go by, walk into Lavington and be proud of the joint and my achievements."
But the immediate focus for the three-time best and fairest is hitting the road to Rovers.
"'Crezza's (coach Daryn Cresswell) got that ability to create a bit of that invincibility about his players," he said.
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