ON THE eve of his 300th game for the Brisbane Lions, champion onballer Simon Black has identified Cameron Ling and Brett Kirk as his toughest opponents.
Black played against Kirk 18 times in his career and was often shadowed by the former Swan, while Cat Ling tagged Black regularly in their 13 clashes.
Black, who averages 23.6 possessions across his 15-year career, saw those numbers drop to 17.1 and 21.4 against Kirk and Ling respectively.
But despite regular attention from the League's best stoppers, Black has carved out one of the most decorated careers in history.
He has three premiership medallions, three club champion awards, three All Australian selections, a Brownlow Medal (2002) and a Norm Smith Medal (2003).
And on Saturday night against Geelong, Black will join exalted company when he runs out for game 300.
"It's flown by really, it's been an amazing journey. I'm fortunate to have had a lot of highlights throughout my 15 years at the club and have loved every part of the journey … it's been incredible," Black said.
Black's contract has an option to extend to next year, and the midfield maestro said he would make a decision on his future towards the end of the season.
He said the 2001-2003 premiership hat-trick was a highlight and credited coach Leigh Matthews and the great mix of talent and character in those teams for the victories, humbly excluding himself.
Black's ability to extract the ball from congestion and feed Lions runners over his career is still marvelled at by most.
Not blessed with blistering pace or a huge frame, the 33-year-old said he had a simple mantra that kept him at the top for so long.
"For me it's always trying to get to the contest. An old coach of mine said the more times you go to the well, the more chance you've got of getting a drink. It's pretty basic, it's pretty simple and it's like that with football as well," he said.
"As a midfielder you've just got to keep turning up and try and get to the contest and you'll get your hands on it eventually.
"I think you have an expectation on yourself as a player and that's what you try to reach every week and probably more often than not you don't reach that.
"That's what drives me and has done throughout my career and probably always will."
Michael Whiting covers Brisbane Lions news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_mikewhiting
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
