Collingwood veteran Scott Pendlebury has etched his name into AFL history by breaking the VFL/AFL games played record in his 433rd match, a milestone celebrated with a massive crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The Magpies faced West Coast Eagles in a Saturday twilight fixture, with more than 90,000 fans expected to witness the historic occasion.
Gold Numbers and Family Tributes
In a surprise move, every Collingwood player donned a gold number on the back of their jumper in honour of Pendlebury, deviating from the original plan to have only the record-breaker wear the special design. Coach Craig McRae admitted the team might face scrutiny but emphasised the collective spirit. "The jumpers look good. I'm not sure we got approval for all of them - we might get in trouble for that - but we wanted to look like a team," McRae told Fox Footy before the match.
Pendlebury, who made his AFL debut in 2006, surpassed retired North Melbourne legend Brent Harvey as the competition's all-time games record holder. He ran onto the ground alongside his children, Jax and Darcy, and wore custom-designed Puma boots decorated by them. "It's probably the best thing I've ever received in footy," Pendlebury said. "I was a little bit shocked when I opened them up during the week and each kid had designed a boot."
Embracing the Occasion
Reflecting on the milestone, Pendlebury acknowledged the unique nature of the individual achievement within a team sport. "It is different, and since 'Fly' [McRae] has been here we've been really big on actually embracing the occasion," he said. "This is a little bit different because it is an individual milestone but I've tried to lap it up and enjoy it." He shared a light-hearted moment about being recognised while shopping: "I was just doing some shopping yesterday down in Elwood and they clapped me when I walked out, and I was holding a pumpkin."
Intense Build-Up and Team Focus
The milestone match followed a period of intense focus on Pendlebury and Collingwood's handling of their veteran superstar. Debate centred around whether the lead-in prioritised the individual over the team, especially after Pendlebury was "managed" in two of the past three games, resulting in a draw with Hawthorn and a narrow loss to Sydney. Critics accused Collingwood of "hand-picking" West Coast as an easy opponent for the milestone game, a suggestion McRae dismissed as "naive."
Pendlebury, who dominated in the Magpies' most recent win on Anzac Day, remains focused on team success. Collingwood (4-5-1) can move back into a wildcard spot with victory over the Eagles (3-7), who are coming off a strong win against GWS. "They played really good footy last week and we know what we're up against," Pendlebury said. "At the same time, I know we haven't got many points of late ... but we've played some really good sides. We drew with Hawthorn and lost by a kick to the Swans, so we're playing alright footy and I think we're building."
Historic Crowd and Atmosphere
A crowd of more than 90,000 fans was expected, which would be the largest home-and-away attendance for a Magpies-Eagles contest and the largest crowd West Coast have played in front of outside of grand finals. "It's going to be amazing to have that many people here and we're so fortunate to play in front of these crowds all the time," Pendlebury said. "There's nothing better than the 'G on a Saturday afternoon in front of ninety thousand."
Pendlebury, a two-time premiership player, six-time All-Australian, and Norm Smith medallist, shared his special day with three other milestone men. The match marked a historic moment in AFL history, celebrating the endurance and excellence of one of the game's greats.
