Although humbled by the occasion, you get a sense Emmett wants the next few days to blow over without much fuss.
The talented and durable defender just wants to win.
“I pride myself on my competitiveness. I hate losing,” Emmett said when trying to find words to describe himself as a footballer.
“But that’s in the culture at Stanhope; you turn up and have a crack.”
Leading the way: Stanhope captain and defensive stalwart Craig Emmett in a practice match earlier this year.
His journey towards game 300 began in 2004, when a talented 17-year-old forward made a senior debut in a dominant Stanhope outfit.
A couple of premiership medals, along with multiple grand final heartaches, two bouts of being club captain, life membership and a handful of top-five best-and-fairest finishes litter his career.
Having grown up on the family dairy farm only a few hundred metres from the footy ground, you could say Emmett was always destined to play for Stanhope.
His earliest memories of footy are of being around the club running water, operating the scoreboard and kicking the footy during the senior breaks.
Showcasing some ability inside forward 50, it wasn’t long until the local boy earned his senior debut in the maroon and gold.
His venture into the 2pm game slot was during an era where Stanhope enjoyed plenty of success.
The Lions claimed the 2003 premiership, which was followed by two heartbreaking grand final defeats in ’05 and ’06.
Stanhope lost the first one by a point to Tallygaroopna and the following by two points to Ardmona.
It wouldn’t be long until a premiership medal found its way to Emmett.
The Lions returned to the big dance the following two seasons which brought in back-to-back silverware.
The 2008 triumph over Ardmona — Stanhope’s last premiership success — is one memory Emmett remembers fondly.
“Without question the 2008 season is the one that stands out the most,” Emmett said as he recalled the Lions’ hey-day.
“We finished premiers and champions with Patto as coach over Ardy. That period of time we only lost about five or so games and we lost two grand finals. There are moments that still burn whenever you think about it, a couple of bounces that didn’t go your way, but that’s footy I suppose.
“We let another slip in 2013 against Murchison at Tatura Park ... I’ve lost a few more than I would’ve liked actually.”
As he enters the twilight stage of his career, something he’s happy to admit, Emmett said he’s happy to continue lacing up the boots for Stanhope while he still has “that competitive streak” in him.
Father time is also around the corner; with Emmett and his partner Erin expecting their first child within the next few weeks ― something Emmett expected would no doubt be a “life-changing moment”.
He expected becoming a father could “change his perspective” on continuing to play, but even if he does, expect it to always be at Stanhope.
“I live just down the road from the footy ground, so it always makes it easy to hang around, but even when I moved to Melbourne I never left the club,” Emmett said.
“I always enjoy training and the social side of things, shout out to my good mate Andrew Cooper who has been there nearly as long as I have.
“It’s just a really enjoyable place. You find that people who come here with their mates end up getting stuck here. I think it says a lot about the culture, the people, the community we have here at Stanhope.”
Saturday at Stanhope against arch-rival Girgarre is the scene of Emmett’s milestone match where friends and family will cheer him on on his special day.
But first things first, don’t go losing to the Roos.
“We’re still smarting from our loss on Sunday (against Nagambie). It was really disappointing and a pretty poor performance,” Emmett said.
“We want to get out there and redeem ourselves this weekend. Hopefully we bounce back, earn some respect and get the win.”
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