Major milestones for loyal servants as Chris Bell and Ben Prentice reach 250 senior games for Northern Jets

Luckily, he'll share this occasion with a teammate. Two-time premiership player, and best-and-fairest, Chris Bell will also play his 250^th first grade game for the Northern Jets.

"It's a bit of a coincidence to do it together. There a couple of years ago (in a 2016 final), he played his 200th with 'Skeeter' (Andrew) Bonny. They've been two of the great stalwarts of the club the last few years," Prentice said.

Fittingly, Bonny (who also played in the 2005 and 2007 flags) will be back in first grade too, for the first time this year, and Prentice takes the chance to pay tribute to both.

"Those two blokes have probably been the heart and soul of it in the Jets era, year in, year out so it will be good to be out there with Belly," Prentice said.

"Obviously there've been other blokes who have come and gone and had a big year or two but they're two guys throughout who have been pretty crucial to the team going alright."

Come Saturday, the Northern Jets hope to mark the milestones of two who have given the club great service for many seasons, with an important victory in the context of this year's campaign.

The Jets, chasing their third win of the season, host Coleambally at Ardlethan. The Blues, who welcome back key position players Dean Pound and Dwayne Weetra, are one of four teams below the Jets, on one win.

With assistant coach Lenny Haddrill out for the season, Bell will have added responsibility in the midfield. But as he showed last year with another Jets best-and-fairest, he's still got it.

"Yeah, Belly - he turned back the clock. He'd already won one going back a couple of years too," Prentice said.

Prentice freely admits he might have been content running around with the occasional game in reserves this year. But amid club concern about numbers in the pre-season, he put his hand up.

"I quite enjoyed not playing much last year but at the same time, you do miss it," he said.

"But it's probably these sort of nights that I wish I had a better excuse for not going to training than just that it's a bit cold!"

Prentice is approaching his 39^th birthday ("As old as Belly thinks he is, I've got a few years on him"). The former Ariah Park-Mirrool player has always rated Robbie Harper has the best he's seen, played with, or against.

Others, like Jeremy Quade, Jamie Grintell and, in more recent times, current Jets coach Mitch Haddrill, are in the next breath.

But of his own career, Prentice (who played another 80 senior games in western Victoria for Glenthomson-Dunkeld, but missed the Jets' two premierships) says football has never been about personal highlights.

"I've always said I just enjoy playing with the guys, and the club and the crowd... being part of the team more than personal highlights or honours," he said.

"I've just enjoyed what the football club is to these little towns. At Ariah Park-Mirrool originally and with Ardlethan now.

"It's the heart and soul of these little places through the winter."

While his focus wasn't on first grade last year, it remained on the football club.

"I didn't play much, just a few games in the twos and my kids are playing under 11s netball and football and that, so I've been chasing them around the last couple of years," he said.

"I'm quite happy doing that, and I'm actually coaching the 11s footy.

"But when we looked in a bit of strife in the pre-season, I thought I might be required and I'd go again."

He said, as it turns out, the club's numbers "haven't been too bad" compared to pre-season expectations.

However, there's always that nagging concern about what lies ahead.

"I was talking about that with a few of the older blokes the other night, about what's going to happen in a few years, or 10 years," he said.

"(Concern for the future of country clubs) is happening in a lot of places, in different leagues and different towns and you do wonder what the future holds. It sure won't get any easier.

"But the kids are all coming through. Obviously it's going to be a battle but you'd like to think that in 10 years or 20 years time they can all be doing the same thing we are."

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