The Navies’ loyal defender has overcome two serious health setbacks that at the time he was told by doctors would end his football career.

But Wright is made of tough stuff and inspirational fighting spirit – he wasn’t going to let open heart surgery and a subsequent stroke stop him from pulling on his beloved Navies jumper again.

And it hasn’t. On Saturday Wright will play his 200^th senior game for the Navies against St Arnaud in the North Central league.

Wright’s football career was stalled in November, 2010, when he underwent open heart surgery at The Alfred Hospital to have a battery operated Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) inserted after he had been diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy a month earlier.

A month later in the early part of his recovery from surgery Wright was dealt a second blow when a blood clot in his brain caused a stroke and affected his speech.

“I was initially told after my operation that I would barely be able to go for even a jog and basically my love of footy, riding motorbikes and water-skiing was written off at the time,” Wright said on Friday.

“And going back to work as a carpenter, I was told probably not, so I guess I have defied the odds over the past few years.”

Wright had more surgery in May of 2011 to have the LVAD removed from his body, and having undergone two months of speech therapy following his stroke, he turned his focus to making a return to the football field.

“Getting back to playing footy was one of the motivating factors that kept me going,” said Wright, a three-time premiership player with the Navies in 2003, 2005 and 2009.

“I continued to go to the gym through my recovery, did a lot of walking with my wife (Kelly) and probably got as fit as I’ve been with the LVAD still in me.”

Wright’s return to the football field came in a reserves game against Donald in May of 2012, before a call-up to the senior side soon after.

That was five years ago, with Wright having since played in losing grand finals in 2014 and 2015, while a hand injury cost him the chance of playing in the Navies’ premiership last season.

The 31-year-old’s 200^th game at St Arnaud comes 14 years after he made his senior debut as a teenager for the Navies in 2003.

“I’m thankful to still be involved in the club, be it playing in the seniors or reserves… I still aim to play the best footy possible,” Wright said.

“Getting to 200 games on Saturday, I’m really proud of that, especially being a local and having played all my footy at Charlton.”

Charlton secretary Martin McGeown sums up just what Wright’s milestone means to the Navies on the club’s Facebook page.

“He has defied his challenges and gone on to play 199 unrelenting senior games. A fierce and talented competitor as well as a true club person,” he wrote.