AFTER 12 months in the wilderness, Gold Coast defender Trent McKenzie is back, and will play his 100th game against the Swans in Sydney on Saturday.

The man known as 'The Cannon' for his rocket-launching left boot, has been stuck on 99 games since the Suns played Hawthorn in Launceston in June last year.

However, after a frustrating year, McKenzie got the good news from coach Rodney Eade on Tuesday that he'd finally crack the ton.

"There's been a lot of ups and downs, a lot of emotions," McKenzie told AFL.com.au.

"A few times I was ready to come back in and had another injury that would set me back a few weeks, which was frustrating."

McKenzie was the first Sun to 50 games and played 93 in the club's first five years before his horror run of setbacks. 

While poor form has previously cost him some games, an inability to get any consistency has hindered him the most in the past two seasons. 

McKenzie has suffered a broken nose, torn his groin off the bone and sustained ankle, quad, calf and hamstring injuries since the beginning of 2016. 

"When you have one injury, you can work on it and find out where it's coming from, but with a lot of different things, it makes it tough," he said. 

"It's been frustrating, but the rehab guys have been great, we've changed my program and I'm starting to feel good again."

McKenzie, 25, is out of contract at the end of the season and said this was a great opportunity to re-establish his career. 

"It starts this weekend.

"I've been forgotten about a bit, haven't played for a year, but this is a great opportunity to play some good, consistent footy to finish the year."

Your club's slow burner to 100 games