Collingwood veteran Scott Pendlebury is set to make history on Saturday when he plays his record-breaking 433rd VFL/AFL game. The 38-year-old, drafted with pick No 5 in 2005, has built a legacy defined by time, class and composure in the tightest of spaces.
Pendlebury's debut in 2006 hinted at his future brilliance. He gathered the ball across half-back and dished off a handball to launch a counterattack, the first of his record 5,491 handballs. Later, he slotted a goal off his left boot from a pinpoint pass, joining the 'first kick, first goal' club.
After a debut season interrupted by glandular fever, Pendlebury became a key cog in 2007, playing 23 matches. In his first final against Sydney, he gathered career highs of 24 disposals and six clearances, plus a goal. The following week, against reigning premiers West Coast, he improved to 26 disposals and seven clearances, coolly kicking the sealer in extra time.
Pendlebury's standing as a big-game performer was cemented in the 2010 grand final replay against St Kilda. Despite losing six kilograms due to a stomach bug in the lead-up to the drawn decider, he starred in the replay with 29 disposals, 11 tackles and six clearances, earning the Norm Smith Medal as the Magpies won by 56 points.
He holds the record for most Anzac Day medals with four, winning his first in 2010 with 29 disposals and a goal. The following year, he gathered 34 disposals, eight clearances and three goals in a memorable performance. In the 2023 grand final against Brisbane, the 35-year-old turned back the clock with 24 disposals and a goal, playing a key role in a match-defining play that etched his name in Magpies folklore.
