Injuries, forced to bide his time in reserve grade - this season's been a rollercoaster ride for Canberra Raiders halfback Aidan Sezer.
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Which makes the NRL grand final so much more satisfying for the 28-year-old, who could join coach Ricky Stuart as the only other premiership halfback in Green Machine history.
While he's contracted to the Raiders for next season, Sezer's future is up in the air due to the impending arrival of England half George Williams.
Former Raiders hooker and current Huddersfield coach Simon Woolford was back in town and looking for a halfback, with Sezer reportedly one of his targets.
The Raiders are happy to keep him next season, but won't stand in the way if Sezer decides to find a new home.
But all Sezer's worrying about is stopping the Sydney Roosters winning back-to-back premierships at Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday.
He started the season with a rib injury, which forced him out of the team after round two.
The form of Sam Williams kept him out of the team until round 12, but he hasn't looked back since.
"It's awesome mate. It's a rollercoaster and for the year to culminate in a grand-final appearance is something I believed this squad could do," Sezer said.
"When I came back into the team after the injury I was well aware what we could do and you see the belief in the boys next to you.
"To be here and participating in a grand final it's special, but we want to go to that next step and hopefully bring something home."
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He's on the verge of becoming a premiership winning No.7.
That would make him just the second in Raiders history.
Stuart was the halfback in all three of Canberra's premierships - 1989-90 and '94.
But that wasn't motivation for Sezer. Winning something with his mates was.
"All those things they're nice, but I'm not going to read too much into it," Sezer said.
"As long as I can have a beer after the game with my mates, knowing we've achieved something special is something that motivates me and something I'm striving for this week."
The Raiders go into the grand final as massive underdogs.
While Canberra has jumped on board the Green Machine, Sydney has written them off as $3 outsiders.
The so-called experts up the Hume Highway have started engraving the Roosters' names on the Provan-Summons Trophy already.
And that's just the way Sezer likes it.
All the support that's showing itself in 2000 members watching them train on Tuesday, sausages, bread and milk turning green - along with Canberra's landmarks - not to mention the biggest Raiders crowd in history for their historic preliminary final.
Well Sezer's bottling that support in a Canberra Milk bottle and stowing it on the team bus.
"It suits us to a tee [being the underdogs]," he said.
"Down here in Canberra the town's getting around us and embracing the grand final and the whole week.
"We're just enjoying every moment. Not many of the boys have experienced this and we're looking forward to it.
"Hopefully we can derive a bit of energy from the town and take it up to Sydney and put in a great performance on Sunday."
NRL GRAND FINAL
Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Sydney Roosters at ANZ Stadium, 7.30pm. Tickets available from Ticketek.
Raiders: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Nick Cotric 3. Jarrod Croker 4. Joseph Leilua 5. Jordan Rapana 6. Jack Wighton 7. Aidan Sezer 8. Josh Papalii 9. Josh Hodgson 10. Iosia Soliola 11. John Bateman 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Joseph Tapine. Interchange: 14. Bailey Simonsson 15. Emre Guler 16. Corey Horsburgh 17. Dunamis Lui. Reserves: 18. Sam Williams 19. Ryan Sutton 20. Siliva Havili 21. Sebastian Kris.
Roosters: 1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Latrell Mitchell 4. Joseph Manu 5. Brett Morris 6. Luke Keary 7. Cooper Cronk 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Sam Verrills 10. Isaac Liu 11. Boyd Cordner 12. Mitchell Aubusson 13. Victor Radley. Interchange: 14. Angus Crichton 15. Zane Tetevano 16. Nat Butcher 17. Siosiua Taukeiaho. Reserves: 18. Lindsay Collins 19. Drew Hutchison 20. Jake Friend 21. Ryan Hall.