There has been plenty of coverage on the story of Mark Blicavs this week, encapsulating the journey from talented athlete to Geelong great in the build up to his 300th AFL game.
Now with the chance to sit and reflect, it certainly is a career that is worthy of all the praise and adoration it has received, with Blicavs becoming the eighth Cat to reach the incredible milestone.
It was another standard, brilliant performance from the milestone man as Blicavs finished Friday night with 13 disposals, nine tackles and 23 hit-outs to help lead his side to a big victory over the Bulldogs.
But while there was enormous celebrations in the rooms post-game, there were also more stories emerged about Blicavs and just how far he had come, with numerous past teammates lifting the lid on the early days of his career.
There might have been nobody better to speak on the topic than champion Cat, Harry Taylor who provided a rather brutally honest reflection that added to the incredible journey of Mark Blicavs.
"I do remember, and you have nailed it. He just couldn't play," Taylor told Cats Media.
"He was fit, he asked lots of questions but the fundamentals of the game were very average.
"It is an extraordinary story, I mean he started in the real back roads of AFL pathways to be honest.
"He just sits amongst the very best players now at this football club, through work ethic, through the way he asks questions, his inquisition and through this will to want to win and compete.
"I am very, very proud of him for sure."
The Geelong rooms were flooded with friends and family post-game, as those closest to both Mark Blicavs and Jake Kolodjashnij celebrated the incredible careers of two Cats champions.
It was fitting that the Cat would celebrate the pair in style, recording a thumping 75-point victory over the Bulldogs in front of a raucous crowd at GMHBA Stadium.
Blicavs certainly played a phenomenal role and was able to impact the game in multiple positions, while Kolodjashnij brought the crowd to its feet with a long-range goal in the final term.
For Blicavs, it was yet another display of his versatility as he spent time on the wing and in the ruck, something Taylor said is hard to appreciate unless you understand what he goes through each and every week.
"As a teammate, when you are a key defender and you are looking for a chop out, he was always there to do so," Taylor said.
"The midfielders when they needed a rest, he would go in there. Then you would see him in the ruck and it would be like, this is extraordinary.
"You probably don't appreciate it because it is so rare, and it is so different.
"But if you actually spend any time understanding what it takes to prepare for all those multiple roles, it is a real credit to how he has prepared himself for now 300 games of AFL footy."
