He has been a model of consistency since being drafted to the Lions with the Club’s final selection (Pick No.56 overall) at the 2005 AFL National Draft.
Recruited at the age of 21 as a relatively mature-age player, Patfull had previously spent two years on Port Adelaide’s rookie list but failed to crack it for a senior game with the Power.
But Port Adelaide’s loss has since been the Lions’ gain.
Patfull will line-up for his 100th AFL match this Saturday night against Fremantle and continue to go about his business with little fuss or fanfare.
But the reality is, the 26 year-old has been one of the most reliable performers for the Lions over the past five seasons.
He has missed just six matches since making his senior debut - coincidentally against Port Adelaide back in Round 8 of 2006 - and has finished no lower than 18th in the Club Champion voting.
While his number 24 may not feature on the backs of too many Lions fans’ jumpers, all supporters would respect and appreciate the critical role he performs each week.
Now, as he approaches this major games milestone, Patfull has an opportunity to reflect on an achievement he may once have believed was simply a pipedream.
“I probably never thought I’d get to play 100 games. It seems like such a long time ago now that I was playing at Port Adelaide,” Patfull said.
“I hope (the boys can lift for the occasion), its always good to have a win on a milestone match. But we really don’t need any extra motivation heading into this weekend. It’s Round 1, we’ve all had a long and tough pre-season, and really want to start the season off well.”
Among his fondest football memories are his two Finals appearances with the Lions back in 2009 and his debut match against his former club.
“That first game I played against Port in Adelaide was pretty special,” he said.
“It was a good win. We ended up winning by about nine or 10 goals and I got a few touches.”
But Patfull and his Lions team-mate remain intently focussed on Saturday night’s season opener against the Dockers.
“Our performances over the past two weeks have shown the boys are a solid group,” Patfulll said.
“We had a rough patch in the first few games, but the boys have handled it well. Now we can’t wait to play against Fremantle.”
“Everyone wants to play well and we want as many people as possible to come along to the Gabba so we can show them what we’ve been working on over summer.”
