MILESTONES tend to carry a bit more weight when they come after a few hurdles.

James Gwilt’s journey to 100 games has had a few different twists and turns along the way, with an unusual start setting the tone for a career that has panned out different to most.

Gwilt was a surprise selection when the Saints named him with the 63^rd pick at the 2004 National Draft. He was playing cricket for district team South Melbourne when he heard the news that the Saints had sprung a surprise by picking him.

The 18-year-old had played his football with suburban team Noble Park, bucking the system that had other players coming through state leagues or under age competitions.

Gwilt made his debut in the final home and away game of the following year against the Brisbane Lions, coming in as a late inclusion and doing a reasonable job gathering 11 touches. But like everyone else at Etihad Stadium that night, he took a back seat and simply admired the work of teammate Stephen Milne who booted 11 goals in an obliteration of the Lions.

His next game was a final and he played a vital role for his team, booting two goals in the qualifying final win over Adelaide. The game is still remembered as one of the great Saints victories of the modern era.

But despite Gwilt’s explosive start to his career, he was unable to build on that base, playing just two games in 2006 and another eight the following year.

A move to defence saw him become a regular part of the St Kilda team in the second half of 2008 and he played 15 of the 22 home and away games in the memorable 2009 season only to lose his spot for the finals campaign.

It wasn’t until 2010 that Gwilt cemented himself as a staple of the St Kilda back line. He played every single game that year and was his team’s best player in the Grand Final replay loss, gathering 22 touches as he had done in the draw the previous week.

Now with some genuine momentum behind him, Gwilt suffered another setback when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in round 17, 2011. But a quick recovery meant he only missed 14 matches and was back last year.

And so it is that almost nine years after he was taken as a ‘smokey’ pick, Gwilt is set to line up for his 100^th match this week.

“It’s taken me a while with the reco and a few issues at the start of the year with my knee. I’m really proud of playing 100 games at the one club and to represent my family and Noble Park where I come from. I’m pretty proud,” Gwilt said this week.

He admits he is proud of his journey and of the club that gave him his unlikely chance at an AFL career.

“It’s taken a while. St Kilda gave me the opportunity when I was 18 and they’ve stuck by me throughout my career. I want to try and repay them as well,” he said.

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Despite a full recovery, Gwilt had a minor injury to the same knee in the round one clash with Gold Coast. The resulting five-week lay off was small fry compared to the knee reconstruction and he said he never had fears he had done significant damage once again.

“It was more frustrating that I had been injured again. I was missing four or five weeks but I trained hard and the physios looked after me pretty well. It’s good to be back,” he said.

“It was a good challenge, trying to adapt to not being around the boys so much, training by myself and putting in the hard yards, especially because I was doing it while the boys were on their eight week break. It was pretty hard but it was a good challenge.”