Collingwood champion Scott Pendlebury says the VFL-AFL games record isn’t his goal, but he won’t rule out going past Brent Harvey’s 432-game total.
Pendlebury said he would continue to play as long as he enjoyed it, after confirming earlier this week that he was on the verge of signing a contract to play next season.
The talented midfielder was joined by members of the league’s “400 Club” at Olympic Park on Wednesday: Brent Harvey (432 games), Michael Tuck (426), Shaun Burgoyne (407) and Dustin Fletcher (400), with Richmond icon Kevin Bartlett (403) out after face surgery on Tuesday.
Pendlebury did not rule out breaking Harvey’s record after joining the five greats on Saturday night against Carlton, but he acknowledged he was not actively pursuing it.
“No, it is not…” What motivates me is to keep playing this game for as long as I can because I enjoy it; I’m still motivated,” he explained.
“And I was probably trying to think of words to explain why I’ve continued continuing, and I believe it’s simply that I’m competitive.
Scott Pendlebury’s 400th Game Media Opportunity
Michael Tuck, Shaun Burgoyne, Scott Pendlebury, Dustin Fletcher, and Brent Harvey gathered to celebrate Pendlebury’s 400th game against Collingwood on Saturday (Kevin Bartlett was absent).
“My goal in whatever I do is to win. I’ll use the rule book to my advantage if necessary; whatever it is, I enjoy competing, getting out onto the MCG every week and attempting to compete, and the feeling when the siren sounds.
“When that feeling goes, I don’t love it anymore, I feel like it’s boring, that’s when I know that it’s time to give it away – or my body fails me, but at the moment I still have that passion.”
Pendlebury acknowledged Collingwood’s 2022 recovery under Craig McRae as retaining “the fire in the belly” to motivate him.
“The past few years have been extremely enjoyable…” Anyone who’s followed us has seen this. “It’s a great place to visit,” he remarked.
“It’s just a matter of whether I’m contributing to the squad and still have the motivation to compete.
“Getting to 400 games wasn’t a target, it was just to play as long as I can play, so I’ll enjoy this 400 and not worry too much about trying to chase down a record and things like that.”
He was hesitant to say whether he had pioneered any recovery techniques after McRae praised his exceptional ability to recover quickly from injuries or simply play through them.
Collingwood Magpies Training Sessions
On Wednesday, Pendlebury trained at Olympic Park before celebrating his milestone with family and the AFL’s ‘400 Club’.
“Trying to navigate your body to play through injuries has been tricky,” he complained.
“You might be coming back from a broken leg two weeks ago, or you’ve injured a medial ligament, and you need to get back in the battle, strap it up, and get out there.
“Those challenges are really tough, but I think the reason why I’ve done it or tried to do it is because I love being part of the team.”
When asked about his post-playing future, the former Magpies captain quickly returned to the topic at hand.
“Coaching is something I want to do. I believe I’ve already spread the word. “That is something I would like to do when the time is right,” he remarked.
“But, as far as I can see, Saturday is coming up, and it’s going to be a big game.
“I can’t wait to get out there with all my teammates, have all my mates and family in the crowd and do what I love doing … go there and try to get a win for this football club.”
