Port Adelaide's latest milestone man Esava Ratugolea hopes he's blazing a path for more Pacific Islanders to enter the AFL.
The son of Fijian parents was born in Griffith, NSW, before moving to Cobram on the NSW-Victorian border when aged six.
Ratugolea started playing Australian Rules football as a 13-year-old after favouring rugby and soccer - five years later, he was drafted by Geelong.
Now 26, Ratugolea joined Port Adelaide for the 2024 season and on Sunday will play his 100th AFL match.
"I came in as a really raw kid not knowing what my future looked like at AFL level," he told reporters on Thursday.
"To play one game was a great achievement but to make 100 games is awesome.
"I am proud of that and my family is proud of that too so that's the most important thing.
"I wouldn't be here without the work from them, what they did for me growing up and what they do for me to this day, so this all to do with them really."
Ratugolea said his own AFL career was inspired by retired West Coast great Nic Naitanui, who was born in Sydney to Fijian parents, and Kenyan-born Aliir Aliir, who is now a teammate at Port.
"I'd like to say that I inspire kids," he said.
"But I sort of just go about my business and if I do inspire one kid, I am doing my job.
"Hopefully there's kids out there that see me and can believe in themselves and think that they can do it as well.
"I was probably that kid growing up, watching Nic Nat play and seeing Aliir play and seeing all these guys coming through the ranks, so hopefully I have inspired some along the way."
Ratugolea, whose family will be at Adelaide Oval on Sunday when he plays his milestone match against St Kilda, returned to AFL action last weekend after missing the Power's initial two games this season.
The key defender pinched the medial meniscus cartilage in a knee at training on February 10 when kicking a ball.
"I was obviously frustrated, getting through a full pre-season and then having a little niggle in the knee," he said.
"It was an injury that I had never really been familiar with, especially with not having contact or being around anyone when I did it.
"It stressed me out a little bit."
