SYDNEY forward Gary Rohan will bring up an emotional milestone when he plays game 100 against North Melbourne at the SCG on Saturday night.
It's been a long journey to three figures for Rohan, who is in his ninth season with the Swans after being taken with pick six at the 2009 NAB AFL Draft and has battled a host of injury troubles in that time.
The most significant setback was a horrific broken leg suffered in round four, 2012 – coincidentally in a match against the Kangaroos at the SCG – which saw him miss almost two seasons of footy until he returned in round 21 the following year.
More recently it's been an extremely tough few months in his personal life, and the footy world rallied around Rohan and wife Amie after the couple's twin girls were born last month, but sadly only one baby survived.
Bella Rae is progressing well, but Willow Nevaeh, who had been already diagnosed with anencephaly – a fatal condition that prevents the formation of a baby’s brain and skull – tragically passed away hours after her birth.
Rohan is an extremely popular clubman at the Swans and his teammates will no doubt be inspired by the speedster's special match when they run out against the Kangaroos.
He was mobbed by all 17 of them on the field after kicking a goal against Adelaide in his first match back after losing Willow.
He took to social media in November to encourage anyone in a similar situation to reach out.
"We would love for anyone who has been affected by anencephaly themselves, or know of others affected by anencephaly to please contact us," he wrote on Instagram.
"Don't be afraid to talk to us about it. That's what we want, we want people to ask questions, we want to talk about it with others.
"We still need questions answered as much as everyone else.
"And at the end of the day, we will always be parents to twins, our journey has just been written a little differently to others."
If you or someone you know is looking for support, visit anencephaly.info