In his fourth season since arriving at the club, Sydney Swans midfielder Josh Kennedy has evolved from a solid team player into one of the league’s most consistent performers.

After playing 13 games across three seasons at Hawthorn, Kennedy has played 87 games in a row since joining the Swans during the 2009 trade period, taking his total of consecutive matches to 95.

This weekend, Kennedy’s consistency will be rewarded when the 25-year-old notches up his 100th AFL game when the Swans take on Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.

Speaking ahead of the team’s final training session on Friday morning, Kennedy said he might not have reached the milestone if the Swans had not taken a chance on him.

“It’s a very proud moment,” Kennedy said.

“The last few years have gone pretty quickly after the first three (of my career) took a while to get going, but it’s certainly gone pretty fast and I’m happy to get here.

“I didn’t have too many expectations when coming (to Sydney) three-and-a-half years’ ago, but at the end of the day it was an opportunity to see whether I was good enough and the worst case scenario was that it would be a good experience to live in a different city away from home.

“The greatest thing for me was just the chance to get a game and just see whether I was really up to the standard.”

Kennedy’s durability during his time at the Swans has also propelled him into third place for most consecutive games played in the competition behind Richmond’s Brett Deledio (128 games) and North Melbourne captain Andrew Swallow (102 games).

In the same period of time, the midfielder has also picked up an array of honours, including All-Australian selection, a premiership medallion, and the 2012 Bob Skilton Medal.

After his slow start in the league, Kennedy said he still found it hard to believe how quickly his fortunes have changed.

“I’m still pinching myself,” Kennedy said of his turnaround.

“I think I’ve certainly got a respect for how quickly things can change in the game from week to week and if you drop off a little bit your luck can turn.

“I learnt that for the better I guess and I don’t want it to be for the worst in the future.”

Kennedy, who penned a new four-year deal earlier this year, still feels indebted to the Swans.

"That was the bottom line in the decision," he said.

"Not only were they telling me that they were going to play me, but a three-year contract from only playing 13 games (with Hawthorn) added fuel to their argument."

Despite his success, and the profile and respect he now he enjoys across the AFL, Kennedy can still be extremely self-deprecating.

He puts his durability down to "good management, the fitness staff here and the fact I'm not quick enough to do any soft tissue injuries".

And he credits John Longmire with giving him the confidence he needed to make it in the competition.

"Huge. Huge influence," he said when asked about his coach.

"He was the midfield coach when I first came up and then obviously head coach and he just constantly instilled confidence into me and getting back to the basics and knowing what works for me."

Similarly, Longmire has enormous admiration for one of his star pupils.

"His consistency has been at an incredible level and his ability to play on a consistent basis in big games has been remarkable," Longmire said.

"He's as hard and clean a contested ball player as you'll see and he's also a massive body and can take an overhead mark when he goes forward.

"We've had the retirements of Brett Kirk and the like, and to have a player like him come into our midfield has been really important.

"He's now in our leadership group and he's making a real mark on this footy club."

Looking ahead to Sunday’s match, Kennedy said the Swans were expecting a tough challenge from a refreshed Melbourne side this weekend.

The midfielder said the Demons’ last performance against the Western Bulldogs was an indication that their game plan was starting to take shape under interim coach Neil Craig.

“They’re obviously under ‘Craigy’ now so they’ve been saying during the week that they’ve been feeling a bit more free with their game plan,” he said.

“We’re really going to have to shut that down and our pressure is going to have to be at its best to really shut their run and attack down.”