Swans forward Nathan Keam has played his 150th game

Recently, the Tamworth Swans veteran played his 150th game of senior football - 113 for the Swans, and before that 37 for the Lismore Swans. There was no fanfare to mark the achievement.

"It's not really a thing you look at, because it's not for one club," Keam said, adding that the feat was nevertheless "cool".

"I'll try and get to 200," he said. "Should be there soon."

Keam played for the Lismore Swans while doing a sports marketing degree at Southern Cross University.

He ended up working for a Melbourne-based travel agent, where he booked sports packages while battling homesickness, before returning to Tamworth and landing what he described as his "dream" job.

The Gunnedah-born, former Calrossy Anglican School student works for Country Yard Care, the landscaping-gardening business of his high school friend Andrew White.

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"Everything's going good," he said of work.

Like a lot of footballers, Keam becomes a somewhat different version of himself when he crosses the white line.

In a way, the Nathan Keam who runs on to Varley Oval against Inverell on Saturday will not be the same Nathan Keam who travels to the ground.

"Yeah, you get a bit out of control," he said of the footballer version of himself, adding that he was "shy and laid-back" off the field.

Read more: Keam eyes 100th game for Swans

When Keam played his 100th game for the Swans last season, the club's longstanding president Josh McKenzie said the forward had been "a mainstay in the Swans through some tough years".

The third-placed side, who emerged from a protracted malaise to lose grand finals to Gunnedah and the Nomads in 2020 and 2022 respectively, are dealing with the departures of several key players this year.

On Saturday, they snapped a two-game losing run with a 79-point win over Gunnedah - 19.14 (128) to 7.7 (49) - on Ladies Day at No. 1 Oval on Saturday. Lachlan Bennetts-Inkster booted eight majors.

Keam said the win had given the side a lift ahead of the clash against undefeated ladder leaders Inverell. The teams will vie for the annual Kevin Pay Memorial Shield.

"It will definitely help team morale, definitely the confidence will build," he said.

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