IF HE had his way, premiership hero, Brownlow medallist and dual All Australian Jimmy Bartel would rank the prospect of his 200th match in the extreme low-key category.

Bartel, who reaches the milestone in this round, is aware of the historical importance of the occasion, but forget the bells and whistles that normally accompany a 200th game. It's business as usual.

He will head to AAMI Stadium, in hostile Adelaide territory, to bring up his 200th game and in some ways, that suits the softly-spoken superstar.

"I think it will be pretty low key," he said this week. "I haven't organised anything special."

Breaking banners and being chaired off the ground is not Bartel's idea of recognition. Putting his head over the ball, setting up teammates and being a hard-working cog in a well-oiled Geelong machine is more to his liking.

But he recognises that 200 games is some achievement and he is honoured to be the 30th Geelong player to achieve that milestone.

"There is an honour board at the club with all the names up there and I feel very humble to be joining them," Bartel said.

It's certainly been a long journey from the 2001 draft when Geelong recruiting manager Stephen Wells and then second-year coach Mark Thompson put their faith in the 17-year-old from Bell Park in Geelong's northern suburbs.

Back then he was a well-credentialled kid, who caught the eye with local TAC Cup club the Geelong Falcons and had captained Vic Country at the AFL Under-18 Championships, gaining All Australian selection in 2000 and 2001.

He was also a talented cricketer, making the Victorian under-17 team as a batsman, before deciding to stick with football.

"That was the last time I played cricket at a serious competitive level," Bartel said. "I still play the odd game here or there with mates, and I like the social side of it."

He played in the Falcons' 2000 premiership team and the thrill of running around the MCG in the curtain-raiser before the Essendon-Melbourne AFL Grand Final was another trigger point in his decision.

"Even though Essendon won easily, it gave me a taste of what I wanted to do," Bartel said. Little did he realise he would be back at the MCG on Grand Final day seven years later, helping to pilot the Cats to a drought-breaking premiership.

By the end of 2001, his desire to reach AFL level was close to being fulfilled. He attended the 2001 draft camp, having been there the previous year, even though he was not eligible to be drafted.

"I spoke to a handful of clubs, but I didn't really speak to Geelong until I was back in Geelong and Mark Thompson and Stephen Wells came around for an informal chat," he said.

"I'm not sure what they made of me because I wasn't the greatest tester (at the draft camp), but Stephen said if I was still around for one of their picks, they would take me. They called me out (at No. 8) and that was a huge weight off my shoulders."

Next came the difficult period for any draft pick, whether they are No. 8 or No. 88. Bartel, then 184cm and 81kg (he's now 187cm and 88kg), recalls being in awe during his first pre-season.

"I remember watching Geelong play the previous season and Steven King kicked four goals in a quarter in one game and there I was doing kicking drills with him," Bartel said.

"I was that nervous I didn't know whether to call him 'Steven' or 'Kingy'."

The pre-season soon started to fall into place and it helped Bartel that a fellow draftee with a much bigger profile was alongside him. Gary Ablett jnr was going through his paces for the first time at Skilled Stadium, having been picked as a father-son selection in the same draft.

"I guess all eyes were on Gaz, but he was very good. We bounced off each other and we had a few other young guys there as well to help us along," he said.

With Geelong having some carryover suspensions, Thompson decided to blood some of his young draftees in the first match of 2002.

The Cats were up against an Essendon team still snarling from its loss to the Brisbane Lions in the 2001 Grand Final.

Bartel, Ablett and close mate David Johnson all made their debuts, while future stars Paul Chapman (making his 14th appearance), Corey Enright (18th), Joel Corey (20th) and Cameron Ling (24th) still had their 'L' plates on.

The Bombers cruised home by 50 points, but for the Cats and Bartel it was the start of a memorable era. After gathering 13 touches in his first match, Bartel collected 28 disposals and three Brownlow Medal votes in his fifth game, against Fremantle at home, and a star had been born. Or so we thought.

"Later in the season I was getting a bit tired so I went back to the VFL which was good because we won the (VFL) premiership that year," he said.

But after being sent back to the VFL in round three in 2004, Bartel was starting to become concerned. "I remember talking to (VFL coach) Ron Watt and he gave me some great advice about control the things I can control, and everything will take care of itself. It sounds simple, but it worked and I took some hard lessons along the way," Bartel said.

"As a team, it was the same. We didn't shy away from the setback in finals that year when Sydney beat us at the SCG, if anything, it gave us more resolve."

The well-documented post-season review of 2006 was the spark the club needed in 2007, a year that defined the Cats and their popular No. 3.

"I set myself a few goals, obviously not to win a Brownlow, but after a couple of pre-seasons I was starting to mature and I felt more comfortable with my position in the team. Then to get ultimate success (a premiership) makes it all worthwhile," he said.

Bartel had a season to remember: a premiership medal (it was the Cats' first flag in 44 years), a Brownlow Medal and All Australian selection.

Geelong cruised through to the 2008 Grand Final, but this time the opposition was far from over-awed. Hawthorn had been sneaking under the radar and the inaccurate Cats paid dearly, despite being short-price favourites.

Twelve months later, the Cats were again back on Grand Final day and Bartel was to play a key role after St Kilda star Lenny Hayes ran riot in the opening term.

"I remember the coaches coming out at quarter-time and asking, 'Who the hell is on Lenny?' I was in the forward line so I guess I was safe, but they turned to me and said, 'You've got him for the rest of the game.' So I pretty much followed Lenny for the next couple of hours."

After Hayes had racked up 11 disposals in the opening term, Bartel held him to 13 for the next three quarters in a role that was just as crucial as Harry Taylor's effort on Nick Riewoldt.

Two years on, the Cats are still very much in the hunt, even without their best player (Ablett, now at Gold Coast) and the defection of Thompson to Essendon as an assistant coach.

"They wanted to close the doors on the place, didn't they?" Bartel stated, ever so politely, when asked about the pair.

With Bartel reaching 200 games and the litter of young Cats circa 2002 at the absolute peak of their powers, Geelong is well placed for another premiership assault.

The good news is there could be more for Bartel, despite being out of contract at the end of 2011.

"We're just sorting it all out," Bartel said. "There is no rush, but I'm pretty confident I will be at Geelong for a few more years yet."

This article first appeared in the AFL Record