Corey Brown isn't taking it for granted as he prepares to join an exclusive Brisbane Roar club.
The defender will play his 150th A-League Men game for his hometown club, only the seventh to do so in a list headed by Socceroo Matt McKay and featuring Thomas Broich and Henrique.
It seemed a distant prospect when Brown's contract was suddenly terminated for serious misconduct in August 2022, only for that decision to then be deemed invalid.
In July last year the club's new management publicly apologised to Brown and now, after a tumultuous season of coaching change, the 30-year-old is leading the Roar's push to play finals.
"Every game's going to be massive for us," Brown said ahead of Saturday's clash with fourth-placed Macarthur FC at Ballymore Stadium.
"It's super special for myself. I grew up in Brisbane, to play 150 for my hometown club is something I'm relishing and I'm very proud of and hopefully we can get a good result."
Fellow defender Kai Trewin will also become the club's first academy graduate to notch 100 A-League games in the clash.
Ruben Zadkovich's side are eighth, three points shy of sixth-placed Melbourne City and able to move to within that same margin of the Bulls with a win.
The interim coach is unbeaten in four games in Brisbane and have lost just once in their last six matches.
And they've collected more competition points (15) against teams currently in the top half of the ladder this season than any other side, boasting four wins and three draws from 13 fixtures.
"It's just a great opportunity," the coach said ahead of their first game at the redeveloped 6000-capacity venue.
"They're a tricky side, up the ladder for a reason.
"They've got some key individuals, but we believe there's some areas that we can exploit.
"We want to keep playing the football we think is on the improve."
Thomas Waddingham and Antonee Burke-Gilroy are back in contention after missing Sunday's clash in Sydney with minor injuries suffered in training late last week.
Joe Caletti remains sidelined by an ankle injury that saw him miss last weekend's match.
Macarthur will be without Bernardo Oliveira (Achilles) and are coming off a 3-0 loss to pace-setters Central Coast at Campbelltown Stadium on Sunday.
