Lewis Jetta and Jack Darling have gone full circle on a shared football life that is so different and yet so similar.

Set to celebrate their 200^th AFL game together against Port Adelaide, they began about two hours apart, were rivals living on opposite sides of the country for five years and have been teammates for five years.

Jetta, an Indigenous Australian, is a country boy who grew up in Bunbury 180km south of Perth and played his junior football with Carey Park. Darling was a city slicker, playing his early football with Sorrento-Duncraig in suburban Perth.

At a time when racism discussions are raging in the football narrative Jetta and Darling are a wonderful example of how the AFL unites people for the common cause and the common good.

There will be nothing better if, in the opening minutes of their milestone clash against Port Adelaide on the Gold Coast, Jetta bursts through the midfield and fires a bullet-like pass to a leading Darling for the Eagles first goal.

Darling will become the 25^th player to post 200 games for the Eagles as Jetta becomes the 30^th Indigenous player to post 200 AFL games, with Peter Matera, David Wirrpanda and Chris Lewis the common players on both lists.

In the latter years of their career the milestone men share a stage of life, each with two young children, after an entry to the AFL that was polar opposite.

Jetta, a Swan Districts colts premiership player in 2007, wasn’t among 126 players taken in three drafts of 2007 and went back to Bunbury to play with Bridgetown in 2008. After a year back at Swan  Districts playing in the WAFL he rocketed up the rankings and was drafted by the Sydney Swans with pick #14 in the 2009 National Draft.

Darling was the opposite. He was rated highly enough to be a potential top five pick in the same 2009 Draft had he not been six months too young, yet when he was drafted by the Eagles in 2010 he curiously had to wait until pick #26.

Jetta had a 20-game start on Darling in their race to 200, making his debut in round one, 2010 in the same game in which Josh Kennedy, traded from Hawthorn to Sydney and a 250^th-gamer on Thursday night, played his first game in red and white.

So quickly did Jetta cement his spot in the side that he played two finals in his first season.

After Darling’s debut in round one, 2011 Jetta played a further 107 games and Darling 105 over the next five years through to 2015. Jetta won a flag with the Swans in 2012 and playing in a losing grand final in 2014, and Darling played in a losing grand final in 2015.

They were opposed four times. All at Subiaco. In round three 2011 Sydney won by 13 points as Jetta had nine possessions and a goal and Darling had 14 possessions. In round 16, 2012 Jetta had 16 disposals and an equal career-best four goals in a 52-point Sydney win. Darling kicked two goals from five possessions.

Jetta missed the round 17 game of 2013 which was also at Subiaco. Darling had 11 possessions and a goal but again Sydney won by 34 points.

And in round 16, 2014 Jetta had 22 possessions in a 28-point Swans win and Darling had 17 possessions and a goal.

Finally, the tide turned in round 17, 2015 when West Coast prevailed by 52 points in Tom Barrass’ debut. Darling had 10 possessions and kicked three goals and Jetta 21 possessions and one goal.

In October 2015, keen to return home, Jetta was traded to the Eagles for Callum Sinclair.

By the time he landed in Perth Jetta had stretched his games advantage over Darling to 22, and not until round 8, 2018 did Darling pulled level at 159 games when Jetta missed rounds 7-8 with injury.

Quickly, though, Jetta slipped four games ahead again when Darling missed rounds 13-16, but he pulled level again at 182 games when Jetta was suspended in round 10 last year and they have been game for game since then.

So different in stature and style, 31-year-old, 182cm Jetta has three years on 191cm Darling. Plus four extra wins in his 199 games, one extra draw and 581 extra career possessions. But Darling has 265 extra goals.

It’s the perfect example of the ‘fits all sizes’ nature of the AFL.

The pair have played together with the Eagles 68 times for 44 wins, including each other’s 150^th game in 2017 and the 2018 grand final triumph over Collingwood.

That was a special celebration, but in the crazy times that are the 2020 AFL season another awaits the two twin centurions.