APPROACHING 50 games in Navy Blue, Lachie Fogarty has had to do things the hard way on occasion.

But for the man known as ‘Dogga’ around the playing group, you get the sense he doesn’t really mind that.

Fogarty is now approaching his fifth season at IKON Park, after spending his first three years at Geelong before heading up the highway for pastures new.

His start to life in Navy Blue was an impressive one, before a troublesome back injury well and truly slowed things down. Fogarty has spoken before how he never lost faith in his footy, but getting himself right physically was a slog.

Fortunately, he experienced that journey with a teammate who he now regards as one of his close mates around the Club.

“George Hewett is one I’m pretty good mates with. We had similar back problems a couple of years ago and did our rehab together: he’s someone I’m very close with,” Fogarty told AFL Today.

“He’s a good sounding board for me. It’s not just talking about footy but talking about other things, he’s always good to chat to.”

The beauty of footy clubs is that they can bring together new mates, or reunite old ones.

While Fogarty and Hewett got to know each other well during their recovery period over the 2022-2023 off-season, Fogarty’s first season at the Club also saw the Blues welcome someone who the small forward shares a long history with.

It was in March of that year where Fogarty was invited back to Spotswood to conduct their guernsey presentation, and one of the players he just happened to present to was a former - and future - teammate.

“I played heaps of footy with [Jordan Boyd], we played under-nines together. Honestly, it’s really cool.

“I actually presented his Spotswood jumper to him and a few months later, he was a mid-season draftee. I’ve got a really good relationship with ‘Boydy’, we still train together in the off-season.

“It’s pretty cool to think that two boys from Spotswood are playing in the AFL together.”