IN 2016 there was a genuine chance David Swallow's career could have been over.
Gold Coast's inaugural No.1 draft pick had played just six games in the preceding season and undergone surgery to both knees after suffering posterior cruciate ligament damage in each.
But there was still worse to come.
As he powered through rehabilitation preparing for that 2016 season, there were complications.
In his words, Swallow had "smashed up" his left knee from training. Unsure how serious it was, the cannonball midfielder ploughed on. But the pain got worse, and eventually he confided in the club's medical staff.
He would miss all of 2016, and at just 23 years of age, his career was at a genuine crossroads.
It's why becoming the first Gold Coast player to notch 200 games, against Geelong on Sunday, is not only a remarkable achievement for a humble man who has often been the glue keeping the Suns together, but also a minor miracle.
"The one thing I do remember is having that conversation with the doc," Swallow told AFL.com.au.
"We just didn't know. He was saying: 'You've got to prepare for the worst'.
"Just walking around, it was always sore. When it first happened, it was excruciating pain.
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"That whole 2016 I probably had six months of no running … it kills you.
"You just wonder is this pain ever going to go away or is it going to be sore all the time?"
Gold Coast's head physiotherapist Lindsay Bull said the polite way to describe Swallow's knee was that it was in "bad health".
"It had the potential to (finish his career)," Bull said.
"We had to tell him that playing footy might not be the best thing for him for the rest of his life.
"I remember discussing the scans with (club doctor) Barry (Rigby) before Dave came in … we're potentially telling a 23-year-old this, who had the world at his feet.
"It was just such a shock. It was really confronting.
"He didn't wallow in self-pity at all though, it was typical, stoic Dave."
Swallow said deep down he didn't think it would be the end of his playing days because the "body has got an amazing ability to heal itself".
In Jaeger O'Meara he had a rehab buddy, as the former Rising Star winner navigated his own career-threatening knee problems in the same two-year span.
Swallow took up cycling as part of his comeback, something he still does today, and ever-so-slowly graduated from the Anti-Gravity treadmill to running on grass again.
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There was lots of swimming and lots of strength work to be done. Bull said Swallow could no longer stand a traditional reloading program, meaning they had to be patient and a little creative.
He also lost "three or four kilograms", mostly muscle, which Swallow said had made the world of difference.
As the West Australian prepared for round one in 2017, even that had a hiccup. New ruck recruit Jarrod Witts – who he would later co-captain the club with for three seasons – fell across Swallow's ankle at training, delaying his return by a week.
Since then, he has played 120 of a possible 128 games.
He wouldn't do every training session. He, and the club, needed to be smart, but now the 30-year-old does almost everything and coming off a third-place finish in the Suns' best and fairest, is in as good a shape as he's ever been.
Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew was full of praise before the milestone man's big day.
"He's the most selfless player I've seen," Dew said.
"He's always looking out for others and has absolutely no ego.
"Before my time there was doubts he'd keep playing because of his injuries.
"As I say to Dave, his best is still yet to come. Guys are in physical peak well into their early 30s now. We think he's got a lot of footy left."
Swallow said it was an honour to play so many games for one club.
"It's something I wanted to do when I got drafted. When you're a kid you look at those players and you admire them. For me that's pretty special," he said.
"I still want to achieve some things in footy, so it's (milestone) nice, but I'm not happy.
"I've certainly still got the drive and while the body is still good, I'll play as long as I can, as long as I still deserve a spot in the team, I'll continue to play."
It's been seven years since his career flashed before him, so who's to doubt Swallow can play a lot, lot longer?
