Collingwood veteran Scott Pendlebury will break the VFL/AFL games record when he plays his 433rd match on Saturday. The 38-year-old, drafted with pick No 5 in 2005, has built a career defined by time, class and composure in the tightest of spaces. Here are six moments that exemplify his remarkable legacy.
On debut in 2006, Pendlebury showed early promise. Gathering the ball across half-back, he calmly handballed to Ryan Lonie under pressure from Brisbane's Daniel Bradshaw. Later, he slotted his first kick for a goal after a pinpoint pass from Nathan Buckley, joining the 'first kick, first goal' club.
In his first final in 2007, Pendlebury collected career highs of 24 disposals and six clearances, plus a goal, as Collingwood beat Sydney. The following week against West Coast, he improved to 26 disposals and seven clearances, kicking the sealer in extra time to announce his arrival as a big-game performer.
Pendlebury's finest hour came in the 2010 grand final replay. Despite losing six kilograms to a stomach bug before the drawn decider, he dominated the replay with 29 disposals, 11 tackles and six clearances, winning the Norm Smith Medal as Collingwood won by 56 points – their biggest premiership margin.
He holds the record for Anzac Day medals with four. In 2011, he produced one of his best performances: 34 disposals, eight clearances, and three goals, including a set shot after the final siren, to win his second consecutive medal.
In the 2023 grand final, the 35-year-old turned back the clock with 24 disposals, six clearances and a goal. His cool head under pressure was pivotal in a match-defining play that helped Collingwood edge Brisbane in a thriller, cementing his place in Magpies folklore.
