After nearly two decades spent with the Horsham Saints, Kelm joined cousins Heath and Tim in signing for their boyhood, Horsham District league club.

"The idea came from Heath, but we all hadn't had the opportunity to play together," Gavin Kelm said.

"We came up with the idea to go back and help out the club and get them into a position to play finals.

"My Pop and Nan were one-time presidents of football and netball at Taylors Lake. My uncle, Robert, is a life member and my father, Geoff, was a president as well for a few years.

"Other family members and cousins have played out there, too - there's a heap of family connections."

Kelm was expected to produce big things, but no one could have predicted just how significant.

RELATED: Gavin Kelm reflects on his 300 games with the Horsham Saints

Kelm started the season off discreetly, with Taylors Lake losing the first two games against Swifts and Harrow-Balmoral.

He booted 13 goals in the Lakers' win again Rupanyup in round three - and that's when the wheels started to turn.

Fast-forward to round 11 and Kelm was influential in ending Harrow-Balmoral's undefeated run, inflicting on the top-placed team its only loss of the season.

Kelm added another 10 goals to his season tally in the 75-point win against the Southern Roos. His total for the season reached 83 from just 11 games.

Going into round 12 against Rupanyup, Kelm never set his sights on the milestone goal which footballers set out to achieve.

"We had a good side that year and some really handy footballers," he said.

"I kicked two goals in the first quarter and in the second I think I kicked another three.

"I went on to kick seven, and at three-quarter time a couple of the boys said something and I hadn't really thought about the possibility of reaching 100 goals (in that game)."

In the fourth quarter, with another four goals already to his name, Kelm received a Pat Purcell ball and was able to line up for his 17th goal of the match. It would be his 100th goal for the season.

"All the players got around me, and the crowd went off - you don't see that happen too often," he said.

"The biggest memory for me was all the kids there and how excited they were."

To add to the memory of the milestone, his wife Zeena's waters broke. She was pregnant at the time with their first child.

"She got talking and she missed me kicking the goal which notched up 100," Kelm said.

"She saw everyone running around, cheering me on.

"After a night of celebrations, I laid my head on the pillow, and she said to me: 'You know my waters broke today?'"

The following Monday, they welcomed Pippa into the world.

Kelm finished the season with three consecutive 17-goal outings.

Moving from the midfield to full forward, Kelm has always been a player with versatility in his game.

"I have moved around in my early days under coach Stewart Devlin at Horsham Saints," Kelm said.

"I went where things needed patching up, so it never really worried me where I played.

"Later in my career, I went to full-forward more often than I would have probably liked, but that's what needed to happen."

When Kelm returned to Taylors Lake, the club hadn't played in a final since 1996, battling on-field and off-field woes - none more significant than when their changerooms burnt to the ground in a grass fire in 2002.

In 2011, the Lakers finished the season in third place, but were beaten in the qualifying final against Kalkee.

They went on to get bundled out by three points against the Swifts in the first semi-final.

For a club that had won just three premierships - one in the senior grade and two in the reserves - since its formation in 1946, a finals appearance was a huge effort.

Kelm was awarded the national goal kicking award the same season. He had kicked the most goals by an Australian footballer during the 2011 home-and-away season finishing with 153.

Geelong dual premiership captain Tom Harley presented the award to Kelm and hosted a training night at the club.

"This was a real highlight for me to see all the kids with Tom," he said.

"It was an achievement for me but for the club as well.

"The club needed a boost and for all the kids to see Tom Harley at footy training was something special."

The senior football team didn't get a chance for redemption until 2015 when there appeared in finals once more.

In 2016 the reserves football team were able to fly the flag for the club, claiming the premiership over Southern Mallee Giants.

Lakers' junior teams have also tasted success, with an under-14 premiership win in 2018 and the under-17 playing finals in 2017.

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