SIMON Prestigiacomo will play his 200th AFL match when he runs out against Essendon on Anzac Day and the Pies backman admits it's a milestone he feared he might not reach during a torrid 2008 season that was marred by injury.

Prestigiacomo was out with a foot injury for the first 12 rounds of last year and came back through the VFL, where he injured his groin, not returning to play with the senior side until the final round of the home and away season.

"I had a bit of a rough time of it last year and it's good to be getting back and playing some regular footy," Prestigiacomo said from the Lexus Centre on Friday.

"The whole time I was injured I just wanted to get back and probably try and prove to myself that I still had something to offer, and so far, so good.

"Most people say that when they finish and they look back on [milestones], that's when it means the most.

"It's a great achievement and I'm one that when it's all over I'll look back and [know] that I got to 200 games. If you had have said that at the start of my career I would have laughed, so I'm definitely pretty proud of what I've achieved."

Prestigiacomo, 31, will most likely line up on Bombers' skipper Matthew Lloyd on Saturday, which will be the latest in a long line of duels he's had with the prolific spearhead.

"He's probably one of the strongest marks if he can get his hands up and out in front," he said of Lloyd.

"He's got a pretty good grip on him and when he marks it he generally kicks the goal as well, which makes it even harder. If they can get their running game going and hit it up to him it makes it pretty hard to stop.

"We're pretty even and tomorrow is going to be another good challenge for me."

Like any key defender, Prestigiacomo has had some forgettable days at the office over the journey, but he maintains getting past an indifferent performance is one of the key challenges of playing down back.

"I've had some bad games and had bags kicked on me," he said.

"Scotty Cummings likes to tell everybody that he's got the record, he kicked seven on me when Mick was back at West Coast. He likes to remind me of that all the time.

"Playing on the key forwards you're going to have some goals kicked on you. That's one of the tough roles that you've got to get over. You're playing on good players and you're going to get goals kicked on you, so you've got to try and overcome that as quickly as you can."

Prestigiacomo was delighted that his big milestone fell on the biggest match of the home and away season.

"It doesn't matter where we are on the ladder, Essendon on Anzac Day has always been a pretty tight and tough game," he said.

"We know Essendon are pumped up for it and so are we."