The word journey gets thrown around a lot, even at a football club only seven years old. But for Dylan Shiel, it has been quite the journey to 100 AFL games.

There’s only a few players left at the GIANTS who hold a very special and very specific spot in the club’s history. Shiel is one of them. 

His story is unique - shared now with just Jeremy Cameron and Nathan Wilson - as one of the only players pre-selected by the club who still remain in the orange and charcoal.

But when Shiel arrived at the end of 2010, the club didn’t even have colours. Not even a name.

Shiel’s journey is an oft-told story. But in 2017 when the GIANTS sit atop the AFL ladder and there’s talk of dynasties and inevitable premierships, it’s one worth listening to.

“The journey’s been a really exciting one, an eventful one,” Shiel said on the eve of his milestone match.

“My journey started with the birth of this football club. Fortunately, when I was 17 I was drafted to the GIANTS; or Team GWS as we were called at that stage. 

“We played through some tough times and learned some very valuable lessons through those times.  

“It happened pretty quickly. It feels like only yesterday I was making my debut and you blink and you’re in your sixth season and playing your 100th game.”

Two days after his last year 12 exam, the teenager moved to Breakfast Point in inner western Sydney. He was 870km from home and his family. He didn’t even have a license yet.

“Craig and Melissa Lambert - the welfare team at that stage - used to load us all up in the minibus and take us out to Rooty Hill RSL which was our club base at that time,” he recalled.

“We were based out on the Rooty Hill dance floor and used to do our training on the Blacktown baseball pitches. 

“At that stage we didn’t know any different, we were just excited to be on an AFL list.

“One thing I do remember is I got one training top for the whole pre-season so you can imagine how bad we stunk.”

Like most kids away from their families, Shiel got homesick. It wasn’t easy for a group of kids living out of home for the first time, in a city and at a club that was all brand new to them.

“Those early years, we won three games in our first two seasons and players were leaving at the end of every years suffering home sickness and getting nice offers to return to their home states,” he said.

“I remember going through tough times, talking to my parents about wanting to come home, talking to my girlfriend saying it wasn’t enjoyable here.

“Back then you couldn’t quite see where the light at the end of the tunnel was.”

One event that did make it easier was meeting his now-girlfriend Georgie, daughter of former GIANTS Senior Assistant Coach Mark Williams.

“Georgie and I have been together for just over six years now. Georgie’s been here since the start as well, as long as any player has been here. 

“The Williams family moved down to Melbourne to Richmond and on to other things and they left their daughter behind with me.

“She’s made incredible sacrifices to stay in Sydney and settle in with her career and her life so I owe a lot to her for being supportive of my decision to stay.”

Those hard times, that’s why this season - and the position the club is in - means so much to Shiel.

“A lot of the people externally will just see where we are today and that we’re winning a lot of games and say that success is inevitable.

“But for those that have been here, it’s been a tough journey and looking back on it, we’ve been through a lot of hard things.

“To go from bottom of the ladder, struggling with homesickness and having no real training facility to where we are now; it’s really satisfying that the club’s in a really good position and hopefully we can make some history at the end of this year.”

A constant source of trade speculation, Shiel has seen others he has played with return home.

But although tempted at times, Sydney - and the GIANTS - is where he wants to be, as proven by the two year contract extension signed in April tying the 24-year old to the club until at least the end of 2019.

“It’s exciting to dream about going back home and playing at a big Melbourne club in front of thousands of people each week at the MCG but I just had this feeling that I didn’t want to leave Sydney unsatisfied,” he said. 

“A life lesson that I was always taught by my parents was to never leave anything until you’ve finished it.

“There’s still things to be achieved in Sydney in my chapter of my life and hopefully it can be achieved in the next few years. For me it’s team success and potentially winning some premierships.”

Saturday’s clash with Brisbane will see Shiel complete the first part of his story and reach 100 AFL games. It may not be hugely significant to him at this moment in time, but those who will be there to watch it have been just as instrumental in this journey.

“For me it’s nothing too extraordinary, it’s going to mean nothing if we don’t win,” he said.

“It’s probably more meaningful for my friends and family who have had an influence on me throughout my life. There’s going to be some special people to me that are going to be flying up to Brisbane.

“People like my Dad, who has been the biggest influence on my football and my life, he’s going to be there. He’s going to be incredibly proud. 

“John Quinn - one of the first ever employees of this football club in sports science, he’s going to be there. 

“Craig Lambert’s going to be there and some close friends and Georgie as well. 

“It’s a special time for them to come up and see something they’ve had an influence on.”

In many ways, Shiel’s journey is just beginning. But it’s always important to remember where it started.