But he couldn’t keep away from the game, and after making a return to the Demons last week against Kangaroo Flat, will today play his 200th first XI match for the club.

Having made his first XI debut for the Demons in round one of the 1994-95 season against Strathdale-Maristians when he picked up 2-35 – dismissing Suns’ openers Mick Chalkley (51) and Peter Cowell (21) – Roulston’s 200th will be against Huntly-North Epsom.

Roulston, 41, is a favourite son of the Demons, who two years ago was awarded life membership.

He retired at the end of last season on 198 games, with a shoulder injury that forced him out of the Demons’ last two games leaving him just two short of the 200 milestone.

“I tried retiring, but I guess I missed it a bit once the season started,” Roulston said this week.

“So I’ve got back into it and we’ll see how I go... I might try to play another season after this.”

Roulston, who has been involved with the Demons since he was 16 and is regarded as one of the gentlemen of the BDCA, has taken 308 first XI wickets over his career, with a best return of 8-63 against Golden Square in round 10 of the 1999-2000 season.

That was a season in which Roulston topped the BDCA bowling aggregate with 38 wickets.

While Roulston is about to hit the 200-game milestone, the ultimate success has eluded him.

He joined the Demons’ first XI soon after the club’s golden two-year period when they won back-to-back premierships in 1992 and 1993.

But since then, the Demons have made the finals just three times – the last being 1999 – with all three appearances semi-final defeats.

“I’ve been chasing that flag, but unfortunately, haven’t been able to get there,” Roulston said.

As well as being a lion-hearted performer for the Demons on-field – since 2000 he has bowled 1812 overs in the first XI – Roulston has also been a strong contributor for the club off-field.

He has been on the committee for the past 15 years and is in his fourth season as treasurer.

President Jock Schofield summed up Roulston’s standing at the club when he was presented with life membership in March, 2011.

“He always puts the club first and he’s such a great role model for the young players with the way he plays the game,” Schofield said.

“He has been with the club for more than 20 years, and not only has he been a great player for us, but he has been involved in the committee for a long time and probably been involved in every working bee for the past 20 years.”

Roulston’s career includes winning a trifecta of third, second and first XI BDCA bowling awards.