Holland aims for 200 games

MELBOURNE’S return to the winners' list has coincided with a renewed enthusiasm for key defender Ben Holland.

The big man may have started his AFL career a decade ago with Richmond, but the 184-game veteran is relishing being called upon to play on some of the league's most potent forwards.

“It's a different sort of enjoyment now,” Holland told melbournefc.com.au, when asked if he still loves the game as much as he did when he started in 1996.

“When you're starting out, you sort of just enjoy getting a game, whereas now you just really want team success.

“It's been a tough first half of the year, and you sort of forget what it's like when you're not winning.

“Winning the last two weeks has just brought that passion and that hunger back, and you really want to keep on playing for another 10 years. It's different, depending on what stage of your footy career you're at.”

Holland's current “stage” involves year-to-year contracts and a role as a fill-in defender of sorts, as he's been included in the senior side only when there has been a tall forward for him to curtail.

“It's been a good season, and it's been more of a match-ups thing for me this year.

“I've been in pretty good form when I have been in the side, but sometimes the opposition dictates whether you play or not,” he said.

“That makes it tough. It's frustrating, as you want to get that consistency up and be able to play, but the good thing is we've got a good feeder side in Sandringham, where I can keep my consistency going.

“Ultimately, you'd like to play every game in the seniors, and hopefully I can do that in the second half of the year.”

It's an agreement that has meant Holland hasn't played consecutive senior games this year, but it is one he respects.

“[Coach] Neale [Daniher] has been really honest with me, and has told me I'm playing good footy and would be in if they had a match-up for me,” he said.

“He's happy with my form, and I'm happy with my form, and it's just a case of me getting that match-up from the opposition.”

Such a match-up loomed when the Demons met the Magpies on the Queen's Birthday holiday nearly two weeks ago.

Daniher, having had similar success with such a move in recent years, brought Holland in to play specifically on Anthony Rocca.

The result? Rocca had two touches and was held scoreless.

“I had not a bad game on him last year as well, so that was probably about the same,” Holland said, of his round-11 performance.

“He's a really good player and is really dangerous, so it was good to do the job as well.

“I did have a lot of help from the midfield and the other backline players. The team was just playing good footy, so it makes my job a lot easier.”

Reaching 200 games remains a goal for the 30-year-old, but he respects the club's position and decision it will have to make when this season draws to a close.

“It's definitely within my sights and I guess the club will determine that at the end of the year with what direction they want to go,” he said.

“I'd love to get it; it's a big goal of mine. If you've played 200 games, you've really been around AFL circles for a while.

“I'm keen to get there, but we'll have to reassess that at the end of the year.”

Holland believes he still has plenty to offer the Demons, from an experience point of view, and hopes the club will allow him to continue to work with its emerging defenders.

“I still think I'm a pretty valuable player to the team, and we've got a really young backline that needs some direction and some help.

“I've been around for a while so it's really important to have those older players around,” he said.

“I had Benny Gale and Paul Broderick and Wayne Campbell around when I was going through at Richmond.

“It's a harsh world, AFL footy, and when you're young, you need those guys who have done it before around.

“It can be all too daunting sometimes, which can lead to players struggling a bit and going off the rails, so I think you need a mix of experience and youth and that makes for a good team.”

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.