Speak to coaches and teammates about North Melbourne ruck Kim Rennie, and the word you hear first is 'underrated'.

Then, you hear about how pivotal Rennie has been to the Kangaroos' success.

A triple-premiership ruck, Rennie is valued around Arden St not just for her tapwork, but for her clean skills, game smarts, and the diesel engine that allows her to take part in the Roos' fast transitions.

Her durability is underlined by the fact she hasn't missed a game since 2022, despite weathering the knocks that come with one of the game's most physical roles.

As she prepares to play her milestone 100th game this weekend, Rennie reflects on the moments that have shaped her career.

As a kid growing up in Balwyn I played some Auskick, but later it was all basketball.

By 2017, I was playing with the Sandringham Sabres in the South East Australian Basketball League. I'd got to a point in my basketball career where I was looking to take a break or do something different, and it was around the time AFLW had started up.

I had the opportunity to try out at a trial day with the Western Bulldogs and I was lucky enough to get picked up by them in the rookie draft.

I definitely didn't think about footy as a career back then. I just thought, I reckon that's something new I could do. It was just pure enjoyment to be a part of it and to play and learn. 

About halfway through my first season at the Bulldogs, Katie Brennan had come out with an ankle injury, so I got my opportunity to come into the side.

I started in the forward line and in the first half I didn't get near it. 

Thankfully after half-time I moved into the ruck and sort of found my place there. I was lucky enough to hang onto that spot and play in the 2018 premiership, which was incredible. 

I felt extremely lucky to get my start at the Bulldogs, where there were so many really good, genuine people. The players and coaches and staff really made me feel accepted and part of that club from very early on, which helped me develop as a person and a player.

By the end of 2021 I'd been at the club for four seasons, and I felt like I was at a point in my career where I needed a new challenge, and a different environment to continue developing as a player. 

The opportunity had come up to move across to North. I asked for a trade, but it didn't happen and I ended up leaving through the draft. 

It ended up being a pretty disappointing way to leave, because my time at the Dogs had been fantastic. But it turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. 

When I met with (former list manager) Rhys Harwood and (former head of AFLW) Nathan Hrovat, what impressed me was that North's program wasn't just about football. It was about developing the person away from football as well.

It felt very natural and a good fit for me. It aligned really well. 

It wasn't an intimidating environment to come into. There were a handful of girls I'd played with at the Bulldogs. I gravitated to Jenna Bruton straight away. Emma King was a big support as well. I was so excited to be able to work with her in the ruck. 

It's hard to name names without leaving someone out, but I felt very comfortable, like I belonged straight away.

No one ever calls me Kim at North Melbourne. I get Ren or Rennie, but otherwise people just call me Kim Rennie. I don't know how that's become a thing, but I reckon Ash Riddell had something to do with it. 

So much had gone right that season, both for us as a group and for me personally. Things were starting to come together. We'd seen real progress, but we were denied that ultimate success.

Reflecting on it now, we were able to seize that critical moment, and the next year we really took it to a new level.

For me a huge thing was the consistency I had with my training, which started with getting my body right. I haven't missed a game since 2022, which is a shoutout to our high performance and medical teams here at North, because I've had a few knocks and niggles along the way.

It was about building confidence, too.

As a ruck, I'm playing across the whole ground, so that connection with your teammates in the midfield is really important. Knowing where they're going to show up and how it all comes together takes time.

From when I started compared to now, what's required from the ruck position looks very different. Crock (coach Darren Crocker) has been fantastic with evolving the role and building that into our game, and helping me develop that positional side of my game.

To be able to win, as a group, it wasn't just about that one Grand Final. It was years of hard work, and failure along the way.

It's rare to have an opportunity where you can share in that ultimate success with your teammates, and get reward for the blood, sweat and tears you've put into it.

They're a group of people I've grown to care a lot about. They're more than just teammates. It feels awesome that we're gonna have these premierships forever. We're going to be able to come together as a group in the future and always reflect on that. Super special.

Throughout my whole career, my family have been an awesome support for me. I probably have my twin brother Simon to thank for helping get me into footy. He was my kicking buddy growing up. 

My grandma is 92 and she calls me before every game. Her name is Elizabeth but our whole family call her 'Pep', so when she rings I call it my 'Pep talk'.

She's a mad Adelaide Crows supporter, but obviously in the women's she's on board with the Roos. She's always got a bit of advice but she also reminds me about what Crock likes to say, to enjoy the journey. 

When she called me before last week's game against the Crows she said, "Oh well, I hope you do beat dear old Adelaide."

I'm so thankful that I have her, and that I've been able to have such good support from all my family, as well as my teammates, coaches and friends. I can't wait to see what the rest of the season brings.