It remains the most unlikely of football stories.
Gun runner earns AFL opportunity on the recommendation of a former junior teammate’s father.
That story still has at least another chapter to be written after Mark Blicavs signed a one-year contract extending his time at Geelong into a 14th season in 2026.
The 34-year-old didn’t hesitate when the Cats offered another year.
“The club’s been great to me from the day I arrived,” Blicavs said.
“I’ve said it many times previous; they didn’t need to give me a shot way back when as a Category B rookie, and they did, and (I’m) forever indebted to them.
“I was always wanting to play here. I love the area. I’ve got some great mates here, so very easy.”
Blicavs sits equal 12th for games played at the club after making his 280th appearance in the win over the Western Bulldogs.
Barring injury, he will become the eighth Cat to play 300 games sometime in the first half of 2026.
However, going past former teammates like James Kelly and Harry Taylor is something he’ll reflect on once his career is over.
“I’m really trying to stay in the moment,” Blicavs said.
“I know it sounds a bit cliché, but I’m really trying to enjoy just every day, every training session I’ve got here.
“Some of those names; it’s a real privilege because they’re the ones that taught me how to play football way back when, when I first got to the club.
‘Kell’, Harry Taylor, all these guys. To have played with them and learnt from them.
“And they taught me the right way in terms of how to play footy, the values, how to work hard and keep myself healthy so I’m available to play as many games as I can.
“It’s been a great journey, but I’m not finished yet, and it’s one that I’ll look back on pretty fondly once I finish up.”
Blicavs has missed only 17 games since debuting in the opening round of the 2013 season, putting his durability down to his background in athletics.
“I’ve always been a big believer that I think the running side of things and me doing athletics has really helped from a coordination point of view, from a resilience point of view,” he said.
“So I’ve been really fortunate to not have too many soft tissue or stress injuries.
“The injuries I’ve copped are maybe just physical tackles or hits or corkies or whatever it might be, so from that point of view, my body’s been able to stay really fresh.
“I came to footy at 21 and hadn’t played much previously, so I’m not as banged up as maybe I would have been if I played the whole way through.”
X: @krockfootball
