Gary Ablett Jnr did it all.
Handed the seemingly-impossible chalice that was his famous father's name, and the pressure that came with it, "The Little Master", somehow lived up to the billing.
Speaking to Zero Hanger on the blue carpet, mere hours before his induction to the Australian Football Hall of Fame was cemented, Ablett gave insight into what matters most to him from the most glittering of careers.
"It's hard to put into words," he said.
"[To play] the game that I love for such a long time - 19 years - is a true blessing and I think for me, [enshrinement] is just an opportunity to reflect on all the hard work that's gone into it."
Ablett heads into the Hall in his first year of eligibility, such was his impact on the code and his metronomic excellence.
The impossible task of living up to his father's legacy at Kardinia Park gave way to the chance to be the face of an expansion club in the code's northern frontier - a role that was performed equally as admirably.
Two premierships, two Brownlow Medals, an equal-most eight All-Australians, six best and fairests, three times the Coaches' Association's Champion Player of the Year and five times the game's Most Valuable Player in the eyes of his peers.
With all the acclaim that came with playing the game the right way, and so prodigiously, Ablett could be forgiven for enjoying that individual and team success most, but that isn't what he holds dearest.
"Everything that I've been able to achieve and, you know, I do say to a lot of people, as special as it was to win premierships and the individual awards and all that, the thing that I enjoyed the most is just the journey.
"The journey of rocking up to the club with 60 of your best mates and just going through, not just footy challenges, but life challenges as well."
It's a sentiment football fans received a first-hand glimpse at, in the moments before the 2022 Grand Final.
Ablett, who retired after the corresponding match two years prior, saw former teammate and close friend Joel Selwood make what would be the crowning moment of his own career about somebody else, in a selfless act that defines the pair's friendship.
Ablett's terminally ill son Levi, now seven years old, was carried onto the hallowed turf of the MCG by Selwood, in touching scenes that emphasise the "life challenges" Ablett referenced.
Sharing in moments of personal grief and personal triumph while navigating the pursuit of a common goal in a team sport outweighs any medal or any accolade one could bestow upon Ablett.
"I think that's the thing that means the most to me when I reflect back on my career."
