Shark Stephen's 100 games down to hard work, dedicationFriday, May 16, 2014 - 9:54 PM - by Chris Pike

ANDREW Stephen served a long apprenticeship but has turned himself into a favourite of East Fremantle and now will bring up his 100th WAFL match this Saturday to add to a career already including two state appearances and a Lynn Medal.

Stephen grew up the son of 1969 Lynn Medallist Peter and began playing colts with the Sharks in 2005, then served more than 50 games of an apprenticeship in the reserves before finally cementing a spot in the league team by 2010 having played 11 matches the previous two seasons.

Since then, the now 25-year-old has cemented himself as one of the very best defenders in the WAFL and that has seen him represent WA the last two years against South Australia and Victoria, be named the Sharks' vice-captain in 2014 and win the Lynn Medal alongside Rory O'Brien in 2013.

He now reaches 100 games to book his name on the No. 12 locker this Saturday when he leads the Sharks out on to Lathlain Park to play Perth with both teams desperate for a win.

"Obviously I'm pretty excited at the moment and it's only started to build up now. I'm just rapt and excited to get to this point. I couldn’t imagine playing one game let alone 100 a few years ago," Stephen said.

"I'm just over the moon to play 100 games for such a fantastic club like East Fremantle. When I was a young kid I was running around East Fremantle Oval and now to be here playing 100 games for the club is a bit of a dream come true."

"I started with the colts in 2005 and 15 guys from that group ended up being drafted, and then I played 50 colts games, grinded my way through 50 or 60 games in the reserves and it took me until Round 10 in 2008 to get my first opportunity against Perth in the league team," he said.

"I just played two games that year, then nine games the year after and from then I've been able to cement my spot in the back-line which has been fantastic."

With two state games and possibly a third to come next Saturday against the NEAFL in Sydney, the Lynn Medal and playing in East Fremantle's grand final in 2012 and Foxtel Cup grand final last year are all memories that Stephen will cherish, and are things he never thought he would get to achieve.

"It's probably hard to reflect at the moment because I'm still involved in it but obviously 100 games is a massive milestone," he said.

"I would have to say the Lynn Medal is my greatest achievement so far. I'm never going to be a real standout player and I just pride myself on doing the job for the team each week, and doing what's needed from the coaches."

East Fremantle was a team beginning to improve when Stephen was finding his feet in the league team with the Sharks making the finals and losing a home first semi-final to East Perth in 2010.

That was East Fremantle's first finals appearance since 2002 as well and then the Sharks got back there in 2012 beating East Perth in a first semi-final and downing Swan Districts in a preliminary final before losing the Claremont in a competitive showing in the grand final.