On one hand he’s the ‘larrikin’ of the crew and on the other he’s a respected leader who gets the job done.

Saturday night Geelong’s three-time-premiership player and All-Australian, James Kelly, will kick off his 250th game when he hits Etihad Stadium to take on the Roos.

Outside the club he might not be recognised as one of today’s leading stars but from inside the club that's exactly how he's viewed.

“He’s a bit of a larrikin but he can be very serious as well when the times right and as a footballer he is just one of those guys you just love to play with,” Caddy told Cats TV.

“He probably doesn’t get as talked about as much externally but he’s been a great player for the club ever since he walked into the place.

“He’s a three-time-premiership player and he does all those things as a teammate that you just respect so much… and you just know what you’re going to get from him each week."

Living up to his fierce name as a high pressured midfielder, Kelly finished his 2013 season with a total of 153 tackles, making him the Cats number one tackler and third in the AFL.

Going by what Nathan Vardy says about the veteran, the young Cat has most likely experienced one of Kelly’s great bear hugs first hand or very close to.

“Once he gets over the white line it’s all footy, he’s a very driven bloke and you don’t want to be on the end of some of his tackles, he’ll drive you right into the ground,” Vardy said.

Click on the video above to catch the full tribute celebrating James Kelly’s 250th.