A Special Day for Scott Pendlebury
Scott Pendlebury has become the central figure in a unique and memorable moment during his AFL record-breaking appearance. The Collingwood Magpies made headlines when every player donned gold numbers on their black-and-white jumpers, a decision that was driven by Pendlebury’s strong leadership and team spirit.
The idea of having all players wear the special design initially sparked some criticism, as it was first reported that only Pendlebury would be wearing the gold numbers. However, the entire team surprised fans by running out in a matching color scheme at the MCG, which was met with great enthusiasm from the crowd of 90,028 fans.
Pendlebury’s influence on this decision was evident, according to Collingwood coach Craig McRae. “There was a bit of a collective but Pendles drove it. He’s a team man and he drove it hard,” McRae said. “I came in late in the process and he said, ‘What if we all wear it?’ I said, ‘That would be amazing’.”
The team kept the plan a secret until just before the first ball-up, which added to the excitement of the day. “I’m glad that we could keep it under wraps because there’s a few people out there that love to leak that sort of stuff,” Pendlebury said. “They do it because they want to try and steal the moment from the fans and the club.”
Pendlebury’s milestone game was an emotional experience for everyone involved. As the 38-year-old prepared for his 433rd AFL game, he received widespread recognition from the public. Even during a routine trip to an Elwood supermarket, he was applauded while carrying a pumpkin.
However, Collingwood faced some criticism over how they managed Pendlebury, particularly regarding his absence from multiple games and the choice of West Coast as the opponent for his milestone match.
Initially, Pendlebury had planned to break North Melbourne legend Brent Harvey’s record against Geelong. An Achilles injury changed those plans, but he was pleased with the outcome. “After today, I’m glad that I did it here with the amount of people that came and the spectacle it was,” he said.
Fans showed their support during the game, with many standing up to applaud Pendlebury at the 10-minute mark of the first quarter. “It was crazy just to look up and the whole game just sort of stopped,” he said.
West Coast proved to be a tough opponent, cutting a 29-point lead down to three points with more than seven minutes remaining. Pendlebury started in the center square and faced aggressive challenges from opponents. Despite the pressure, he finished with 20 disposals and five clearances.
“We knew West Coast are improving and getting better, they’ve got some great young talent, they’re very big and their midfield is up and going,” Pendlebury said. “So it was a contest we expected, especially off the back of last week and how well they finished.”
Pendlebury, who is also nursing a left hand injury, is unsure about how long he will continue playing. However, he shows no signs of slowing down. “I love the game and I want the opportunity to play for as long as I can,” he said.
“The thing that I’m sort of trying to wrap my head around is yes, I broke the record, but the end goal is a flag. That’s what I want to get this year and I might finish on 450, 460, 440 (games) – I don’t know. I just want to keep preparing because I love the process and I’m looking forward to getting in an ice bath tomorrow, starting again and playing the Bulldogs next week.”
