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MICHAEL Bright was the best man at Ben Armstrong's wedding so it seems fitting these two close mates will bring up significant personal milestones together this weekend.
Armstrong, a Bell Park champion and one of the last surviving members of the 2003 flag, will pull on the Dragons jumper for the 250th time tomorrow in the much-awaited clash against Grovedale.
Alongside him will be Bright, a former Newtown & Chilwell captain, who will mark 150 GFL matches.
The pair were junior teammates at Bell Park, but spent a decade apart before their careers realigned early in 2011 when Bright left the Eagles to return to the Dragons.
Six months later, the best mates became premiership teammates after toppling South Barwon in a dramatic grand final.
"We were able to play in that flag together, that was pretty special, we've been close mates for a long time," Armstrong says.
Bright is quick to say tomorrow is all about celebrating Armstrong's contribution to Bell Park.
"I think 250 games at one club really is a fantastic effort," Bright said.
Armstrong is the only Dragon to have played in both the 2003 and 2011 premierships.
Relics of 2003 are scarce. Ross Dillon, who returned to the club this year after three seasons at Bannockburn, is the only other player on Bell Park's list who has an '03 medal. Armstrong is one of only six dual-premiership players in the club's history.
Tony Evans, Peter Angelovich, Gary Finnemore, Brad Nicholls and Bernie Purcell are the others.
Armstrong was vice captain of the 2003 premiership side, co-captained the 2011 flag and guided the club into the GFL grand final last year in his first season as co-coach alongside Tim Sheringham.
He is a club best-and-fairest winner, an inter-league player and a Victorian representative at the national country football championships.
"Ken Hinkley came here in 2002 and since then we've been successful, really, so there hasn't been a need to chase success (at another club) because it's all been here," Armstrong said.
"I was vice captain in 2003, so I've been having leadership roles around the place for a long time.
"I've played in two flags now.
"We had a lot of guys who didn't play in a flag during that period and I think we're probably as desperate as anyone to play in another one because it's just the most incredible feeling.
"Especially with the way the comp is now, because it's so professional and so hard to win.
"When you get the opportunity to get close, which we have over the past three years, our group is pretty desperate to get that feeling again."
Armstrong and Bright first met when their fathers, Paul and Terry, were key officials of the inaugural Geelong Falcons side in 1992.
Bright then moved to Western Australia as a 17-year-old to play at East Fremantle, where he was part of a reserves flag.
He returned to Geelong and spent time on the Cats' VFL list before carving out a celebrated career at Newtown & Chilwell where he played more than 100 games until the end of 2010.
"I loved my time there and played there for the right reasons family and friends," Bright said of Newtown & Chilwell.
"I made plenty of good friends there over the years and still have a real love for the place. Since coming here, it's obviously freshened up my footy.
"With (cousin) Jackson being here as well, it was the logical choice to come here."
Bell Park is starting to make its move this season and jumped into the top-three with a demolition of St Joseph's last weekend.
Tomorrow's opponent, Grovedale, has been one of the stories of the year after a strong off-season recruiting spree, which has lifted the club from cellar dweller to top-three contender.
"They've picked up seven or eight quality recruits," Armstrong said.
"While they've had a couple of lean years, last year was an improvement and they've still got a dozen to 15 good players they had last year, plus another eight new players.
"That's why they're seven and two, because they've been able to improve and add to their team, so we won't be taking anything lightly this weekend."
If anything, Armstrong knows you cannot ever take success for granted.
"With the first premiership, I guess everyone says this, you're pretty young, you reckon you're going to win heaps," Armstrong said.
"So the second one, you've pretty much figured out how hard it is to win, so the second one was probably more satisfying, but '03 was probably more euphoric.
"They're very different feelings, and I've been lucky enough to win two and we'll be trying to chase that feeling again."
