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Jarrod Harbrow in his first year with the Suns.
JARROD Harbrow hopes his family, his junior footy club and the community of Cairns take pride in his 200th game on Saturday.
And he hopes the QClash provides a win that the Suns can celebrate.
You have to be a very good player to reach 200 AFL games and the milestone is a significant achievement, but for the 29-year-old it simply can’t replace the lack of success he is burning to achieve.
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“The fact is we haven’t had enough success for me to enjoy the moment that it is,’’ he said.
“It is something family and friends and the small community of Cairns and my junior clubs will look at and say, he started here and now he has played 200 games.
“But it’s a number, and next week will be 201 games.’’
The defender played Queensland under-16s, but then left Cairns to finish his last two years of high school in regional Victoria where the family thought he would have a better chance of getting drafted.
Jarrod Harbrow will play his 200th AFL but wants to more success. Picture: AAPSource:AAP
It was then-Bulldogs list manager Scott Clayton who took a punt and selected him as a rookie for the Western Bulldogs in 2007.
He played 70 games for the Dogs before Clayton, who had been hired by the AFL to build the Gold Coast list, lured him back to Queensland to be a foundation Sun.
He arrived as a quiet kid who didn’t have much to say, and turned into one of the more revered and loved Suns players.
He has become a leader within the indigenous community where he does great work with his own talent academy.
Although the academy kids get access to professional environment through links with the Suns, Harbrow says the biggest message he imparts are the ones he learned from his parents growing up.
“With the kids in my academy I just preach be respectful, have a good attitude and use your manners,’’ he said.
Harbrow was recruited by the Bulldogs before moving to the Suns.Source:News Limited
“That is something I have always held myself to closely.
“And if I’ve veered off the track at any time I bring myself back down to that and it keeps me level-headed.’’
Harbrow said he was able to advance from the rookie list to a 200-game player by following the every move of Bulldogs stars Brad Johnson, Daniel Giansiracusa, Scott West and Bob Murphy in his early years.
“The way they went about it was unbelievable, that’s where I served my apprenticeship and it was awesome,’’ he said.
It’s a day of milestones for both clubs with Matt Rosa playing his 200th AFL game and Lion Ryan Lester reaching 100.
Both sides have also made changes with Sun Pearce Hanley out due to a hamstring injury and Lion Jarrod Berry succumbing to a sore foot.
Originally published as Game 200 only a number for Harbrow