Alex Lawder plays with his girls Evie, seven months, and Jayde, 2. He also plays his 200th for Tuggeranong Hawks next weekend. Photo: GRAHAM TIDY Even things up, says 200-gamer Australian football Ryan de Souza The most memorable moment of Alex Lawder's 200-game career for Tuggeranong was playing alongside former Brisbane Lions' outspoken star Jason Akermanis. 
And Lawder isn't afraid of speaking out himself, backing Eastlake coach Dan Ryall in calling for AFL Canberra to do something to even up the lopsided first grade.
Lawder will have to wait an extra week to play his milestone against Eastlake at Greenway Oval on Saturday, with the wet weather shutting all grounds. He started with Tuggeranong in the under-6s, missing only three years from the club while he played for Riverina, Narrandera and Queanbeyan.
The 31-year-old tradesman has had a formidable career, highlighting recent years as his most memorable."At Tuggeranong I would say probably the Akermanis game [when ex-AFL star Jason Akermanis joined the Hawks' ranks for a game]. We beat GWS in a thriller and I snagged a few goals in the last quarter which got us over the line," said Lawder.
"Back when I was with Queanbeyan I snagged a premiership, that was pretty special."
The fourth-placed Hawks are just one win in front of the Demons, making it a big contest in the context of the season with a finals berth potentially on the line.
But there's a chasm between the top three teams and the bottom three, prompting Ryall to say something needed to be done otherwise players would head to the bush to play for cash instead.
Lawder also felt something needed to be done.
"It's frustrating. I think the league needs to sort it out," he said.
"I think Dan Ryall, the Eastlake coach, actually came out last week and spoke about evening out the comp. I thought Dan was pretty spot on about the things he said."
Hawks coach Nathan Costigan also agreed.
"He [Ryall] has my full support.
As much as we need an attractive competition for other players to come to, if they're all going to Ainslie, Belconnen and Queanbeyan, then Tuggeranong, Eastlake and Gungahlin will never catch up," Costigan said.
"Blokes that come from interstate then go to those clubs, I can only assume it's money [that attracts them]."