Scott Pendlebury’s Record-Breaking Moment
Scott Pendlebury has been revealed as the key figure behind the decision for every Collingwood player to wear gold numbers on their black-and-white jumpers during his record-breaking AFL appearance. The 38-year-old, who made his 433rd AFL game, shared some memorable moments from the day that left him feeling both proud and a little uncomfortable.
During the match, a ‘crazy’ moment involving Pies fans made Pendlebury feel ‘uncomfortable’ when he was honoured at the 10-minute mark of the first quarter. The Magpies had drawn criticism in the build-up to the clash with West Coast when it was initially reported they planned to have only the milestone man wearing the special design. However, the entire playing group ran out in a matching colour scheme at the MCG on Saturday, which delighted most of the massive crowd of 90,028 fans.
Pendlebury’s coach, Craig McRae, praised the team effort, saying, “There was a bit of a collective but Pendles drove it. He’s a team man and he drove it hard.” McRae added, “I came in late in the process and he said, ‘What if we all wear it?’ I said, ‘That would be amazing.’” When the players ran out on the ground, McRae felt a sense of emotion and pride, highlighting the incredible spirit of the footy club.
Collingwood kept the gold numbers plan a secret until a few minutes before the first ball-up. Pendlebury expressed his relief, stating, “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.” He explained that such leaks could steal the moment from the fans and the club. “I’m really glad as a football club we could keep that under wraps for a long period of time and then come out, because I think the fans deserved to see it first.”
The build-up to Pendlebury’s special day was intense, with the 38-year-old rightly celebrated in the public spotlight ahead of his 433rd AFL game. He shared a funny anecdote about being applauded while walking out of an Elwood supermarket during the week with a pumpkin in his arms. However, Collingwood faced criticism over their handling of the veteran midfielder, with accusations of ‘hand-picking’ West Coast as an easy opponent for the milestone match.
Pendlebury initially planned to break North Melbourne legend Brent Harvey’s record against Geelong in round nine, after sitting out the preceding clash with Hawthorn. An Achilles injury disrupted those plans, but he was pleased with the outcome as he enjoyed the admiration from fans at the packed MCG.
Fans stood up at the 10-minute mark of the first quarter to applaud Pendlebury, holding up signs that had been handed out pre-game. “It was crazy just to look up and the whole game just sort of stopped,” Pendlebury said. “I don’t know whether it was supposed to stop, but the West Coast guy didn’t want to kick it in. It was phenomenal for everyone to acknowledge me and it was a little bit uncomfortable at the same time.”
West Coast proved to be anything but a pushover, cutting a 29-point margin back to three points with more than seven minutes remaining before the Pies steadied. Pendlebury started in the centre square and was the victim of an aggressive fend-off by Harley Reid in the opening seconds. The veteran quickly levelled the score, sending his much younger opponent over the boundary line minutes later with a strong bump.
Pendlebury finished with 20 disposals and five clearances despite close attention from Willem Duursma and Brady Hough. He acknowledged the challenge, stating, “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.” He added, “So it was a contest we expected, especially off the back of last week and how well they finished. It was a game that we knew was going to come and with the occasion as well there was going to be a bit added to it. It was a great game and I’m glad we won.”
Despite nursing a left hand injury, Pendlebury isn’t sure how long he will keep playing, but 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.”
