On Sunday, one of the great scoring defenders of his generation will take to the field for newly-crowned Division 3 champions Westmeath in their championship opener against Wicklow.
It will be the 135th game of James Dolan's inter-county career and it will come 13 years after he made his senior debut for the side.
In that time Dolan has played at corner-back, wing-back, wing-forward and full-forward for the county.
At the start, he says the versatility was something he wondered about, pondering if he would ever settle in a definite position. But with 18-26 scored for Westmeath so far from 134 games, his status as one of the Lake County’s most reliable and talented players is secured.
Dolan knows by now that the modern game is all about adaptability and energy at the top-level. Westmeath played with a low block in their recent league final win over Down.
Against Wicklow in Portlaoise on Sunday they will be more aggressive with their shape.
"On the Tuesday after every game we meet and reset," he says.
"By then what is gone is gone.
"We knew Down are a terrific attacking, running team that likes goals so we stayed back deep to defend.
"Now we face Wicklow. We will have to change shape again because they have players who like to shoot from distance so we will have to step out onto them.
"But that’s what Tuesday nights are for. Looking at what has gone but analysing what is to come and how we set-up."
Moving with the times, trends and latest tweaks is something that Dolan relishes.
"Every year starts afresh," he says.
"I’ve been playing a long time under different management teams and with different players and all of that freshens it up.
"But I’ve been lucky not to have had too many bad injuries and I’m enjoying football. Thankfully we are doing well again and back in Division 2 again. It’s great and it makes you feel energised."
Over the past 12 months Dessie Dolan junior - his first cousin and team manager - has handed him a hybrid role in defence.
"I’m used to getting a slagging for the variety of positions I have seen on the field," he smiles.
"When I first started playing, I was an attacking wing-back, heading up and scoring goals and points from deep.
"When Jack Cooney came in, we went more defensive, and I turned into sweeper.
"I am a hybrid of those roles now, but my role has changed with all the various management teams and it has been great to have been able to adapt."
It’s not a coincidence either.
His first memories of playing with his club, Garrycastle, were heading down to the club training for the Under-8s and Under-10s with Gerry O’Neill.
Back then he played a lot of street leagues and as he got older his father, club stalwart Ken, rotated the club’s underage players in a variety of different positions. It’s no wonder graduates from that era are so well-rounded.
That versatility has helped Dolan cope with any number of stars over the years from Dublin’s Paul Flynn and Ciaran Kilkenny to Jason Doherty from Mayo.
With his parents, sister, and both immediate and wider family absolutely steeped in Westmeath GAA, it’s little wonder that Dolan quickly grew to understand the importance of being a team player.
"Full-forward, wing-forward, wing-back, corner-back, whatever role is handed to you is what you must do to help the team.
"The role that is being asked of you is for the benefit of the team.
"When I was younger, I was tried first at wing forward and then wing back and nothing seemed to be going right and I was questioning myself.
"But I learned that you must have faith in the management teams that they pick you for a reason in a certain position. And over the years I knew it was for the good of the team.
"And it will be the same against Wicklow. We know what way they will play but, on the day, they could do more running with the ball, or they could be more direct, and we have to be ready for the unknown as well. Be ready to adapt to what we face."
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