At the end of last season it was not known if Adam Ramanauskas would play more than 84 AFL games. He had battled a life threatening illness and his health and well being were at the top of the priority list, rather than his football career. To his credit he has fought back from having a low-grade cancer in his neck. He hasn’t missed a game this season and on Friday night against West Coast he will play his 100th game for Essendon.

Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy praised the courage that Ramanauskas showed in returning to the football field after battling cancer. ""It is a marvelous achievement to play 100 games,"" he said.

""He has showed tremendous courage. He has gone through what most people with cancer have gone through and are going through.

""Adam is coming up to 100 games and started this season not far off 80, so it is a fantastic effort - it is a remarkable achievement,"" Sheedy said.

Sheedy said the club is not doing anything extra special for Ramanauskas this week in honour of his 100th game. ""We just keep him positive and up and at it. He doesn’t want any favours, he is not like that. It is a special sort of young person that does that.""

Sheedy believes that Ramanauskas’ performance against Richmond was clearly his best game for the season. Ramanauskas played across half-back and collected 22 possessions and took seven marks.

""He is a player that is probably a back-line player at the moment, not a mid-fielder. We just need one or two of those players to step up and share that role,"" Sheedy said.

Adam Ramanauskas:
Height: 182cm
Weight: 80cm
DOB: 19/11/1980
AFL debut: 1999
AFL games: 99
Total goals: 52
Previous club: Dandenong Stingrays
Draft history: 1998 Draft – number 12
Honours: Third best and fairest 2002; International Rules Series 2001; AFL Rising Star nominee 2000; premiership side 2000; pre-season premiership side 2000.

Click here for Ramanauskas’ full player profile.