Co-captain Callan Ward has achieved a lot in 149 games. 

At 26 years old, with under nine seasons in the AFL under his belt, the club’s most decorated player notches up his 150th game this Saturday against Fremantle in Perth.

It hasn’t been a huge amount of time, but it’s a long way from when he was picked at selection 19 in the 2007 NAB AFL Draft by the Western Bulldogs.

“It’s been a long journey, but a long journey that’s gone really quickly, it’s hard to describe,” Ward told GIANTS TV. 

Ward played 60 games in four seasons at the Bulldogs, becoming renowned as a hard-running midfielder with terrific leadership potential.

He watched on as ‘Dogs teammates including Rob Murphy, Daniel Giansiracusa, Mitch Hahn and Ryan Hargrave notches up the same milestone Ward will reach this week.

“I remember turning up to the Bulldogs and in my first or second year, the experienced players there, they were playing their 150th games,” Ward said. 

“I was really young and I remember thinking it would be so awesome to play 150 games and that’s why it’s so surreal now to think, nine years later, here I am, I’m playing my 150th game. 

“It’s very exciting, it’s kind of weird to think I’ve played 149 games, 150 this weekend, it’s a bit surreal to be honest.”

That leadership potential identified at the Bulldogs was proven when, at just 21, Ward joined the GIANTS as an uncontracted player signing.

Ward was handed the co-captaincy of the AFL’s newest club immediately.

“Being a co-captain at this footy club is a thing I’ve dreamt of for a long time,” he said.

Along with Phil Davis, Ward was one of the most inexperienced captains in the league and although there have been some tough times, he has always led by example.

He won the club’s inaugural Kevin Sheedy Medal as club champion and has finished top three in every season at the club.

Now he’s five years into the role, Ward can reflect on what he’s achieved and what he’s most proud of over his journey at the GIANTS.

“There’s plenty of different things I’ve done so far that I’m really proud of,” he said.

“I think it’s more the team sort of stuff, helping young guys through and really seeing the development in these young guys. 

“Seeing Jack Steele come through, I’ve worked pretty closely with guys like him and Lachie Whitfield, all these guys who are coming through and playing really good footy. 

“I feel like I’ve had a small part in that and helped these guys through. That’s probably the main thing I can say I’m really proud of, I can say one day I played with these guys and I was a co-captain of these guys and it’s something I’m really proud of.”

He lists his AFL debut and the GIANTS’ first ever win as two highlights in his 149 games, but he had a simple answer when asked what more he wants to achieve.

“Play finals and win finals and play in the premiership and hold the cup up,” he said.

“That’s the main driver of every AFL player but especially one that’s come on this journey at a new football club and has taken it head on and didn’t really know what he was getting himself into. 

“That’s one thing that will always drive me, to hold that premiership cup up with all the other boys and to know we’ve put int he hard yards over years and years and we’ve finally got there, that’s the inspiration.”

Earlier this year Ward re-signed for a further five years with the club, taking him to the end of 2021 when he will be 31-years old and have spent a decade as a GIANT.

Ward said it was an easy decision at the time and is validated when the team performs like it did last weekend when they thrashed the three time reigning premiers Hawthorn by 75 points.

“We’re playing some really good footy now and the reason I signed is because I knew we could and I knew it was going to happen eventually if we continued to work hard and play as a team and that’s what we’re doing at the moment,” Ward said.

“We’re playing really good, selfless footy and definitely on the weekend was a reminder that when we do play that type of footy we can win games and win games against really, really good teams.

“At the moment when we play good, team football, selfless football, we win games and we can challenge the best teams in the competition.”

While last week’s win was in front of an adoring home crowd, there’ll be no such reception for the milestone man when the GIANTS travel to Perth to take on the winless Dockers.

“It’s always tough going over there to Perth and home crowd for them. It’s always very hostile over there … The boys are really looking forward to it and I think we’re in some really good form,” he said.

“As everyone knows we haven’t played too well over there in the past so it’s a great opportunity for us to take it head on and hopefully get our first win over there in Perth.”