No Grace period for Aiden as he reaches 100 games

By ZAC MILBANK

Central District’s Aiden Grace has wasted no time in zipping along to his 100th Hostplus SANFL League game since arriving from Tasmania in 2021.

Missing just two matches since his League debut that season, the 28-year-old has been quick to hit the scoreboard consistently to ensure he has never been relegated to the Reserves in his five-and-a-bit campaigns with the Bulldogs.

Speaking on SANFL Radio, the medium-sized forward says that while he’s feeling more soreness after every match, his body remains in good shape, indicating he’s got no intentions of hanging up the boots in the near future.

Originally from the Clarence Football Club on the Apple Isle, Grace revealed that it was his connection to Bulldogs Jack Oatey Medallist Ian Callinan which played a major role in landing at Elizabeth.

Despite this, Central’s No.32 nearly found himself at rival SANFL club Woodville-West Torrens as his friend from Geelong, Magarey Medallist James Tsitas, was trying to entice him to Oval Avenue at the time.

Currently a Sales Manager at Access Construction Equpiment, Grace has booted a total of 177 goals for the Bulldogs, with his career-best campaign coming in 2024 with a haul of 46.

And the former soccer and cricket player rates his dribbling effort from tight in the Adelaide Oval pocket, to put his team within a point midway through the last term of the 2024 Qualifying Final, as his most memorable major (in the clip below).

Set to line up against Port Adelaide at Alberton on Saturday for his milestone match, the father of four knows the importance of banking the premiership points after his side has failed to chalk up a win for 2026.

It is this challenge, along with nurturing through young forwards such as Tallan Rosenzweig, which is keeping Grace motivated now and into the future.