Australian Rules Football has the ability to produce some incredible and memorable stories, those players that have progressed through adversity and achieved remarkable things. 

One headline that absolutely deserves the utmost respect and admiration will take centre stage on Saturday afternoon, when Zach Guthrie plays his 150th AFL game in Geelong's clash with North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium. 

With the outstanding consistency and reliability that Guthrie has portrayed over recent seasons, it could be simple to forget just how hard he had to work to earn a chance at the elite level. 

Guthrie joined Geelong ahead of the 2017 season, taken in the second round of the Rookie Draft and to most Cats fans, he was viewed as Cam's brother for the early stages of his journey. 

He would earn an AFL debut in his first season with the club, featuring in Geelong's Round 15 draw against the GWS Giants and going on to play nine games at the top level in the year. 

At the time, Guthrie was a relatively raw prospect with a light frame but the talent and skill was evident, something that Geelong's list managers and development staff certainly saw. 

Guthrie would add seven more games in 2018, one appearance in 2019 and a further three in 2020, concluding his opening four seasons at the club with just 20 total games to his name and struggling to find continuity. 

The 2021 season proved to be more fruitful for the defender, going on to play in 13 matches which included two Finals, a 28-disposal outing against North Melbourne in Round 20 the standout and showing fans what he was capable of. 

It then paved the way for 2022, the year that Guthrie absolutely cemented himself in Geelong's defensive structure. 

After playing three of the Cats' opening seven games for the season, Guthrie earned a recall in Round 8 and never looked back, remarkably still not missing a single match since then through to the present day. 

The reliable defender played 21 matches for the season, including all three of Geelong's Finals and ultimately became a premiership player, doing it alongside brother Cam in a special year for the club. 

From a personal level, Guthrie would go from strength-to-strength over the next two years, starting with another consistent campaign in 2023 which led to a fourth-place finish in Geelong's best and fairest. 

He would then go even better in 2024 and recorded his first podium finish in the Carji Greeves Medal, finishing second behind Max Holmes in a remarkable achievement that highlighted his importance to the Geelong team and their defensive structure. 

After returning to the team in Round 8 of the 2022 season, Guthrie still has not missed a single game to the present day, set to play his 113th consecutive game on Saturday afternoon. 

It currently sits as the ninth longest streak among active players, and the second longest consecutive streak in Geelong's history.  

Guthrie will reach another incredible milestone this weekend when he plays his 150th AFL game, as the Cats take on North Melbourne in a crucial clash at Marvel Stadium.