Scott Pendlebury made his entrance onto the field alongside his children, Jax and Darcy, for his 433rd game, setting a new VFL/AFL record for Collingwood at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The atmosphere was electric as over 90,000 spectators gathered to witness this significant event.
The Magpies faced off against West Coast in the twilight match on Saturday, turning the occasion into a grand celebration of Pendlebury’s extraordinary achievement.
In an unexpected gesture, each Collingwood player sported a gold number on their jerseys to honor Pendlebury. This came after the club initially decided that only Pendlebury would wear the gold number, a move that faced criticism.
“I’m not sure we got approval for all of them – we might get in trouble for that – but we wanted to look like a team.” said Magpies coach Craig McRae in an interview with Fox Footy before the game. “It is different, and since ‘Fly’ [McRae] has been here we’ve been really big on actually embracing the occasion,”
Having debuted in the AFL in 2006, Pendlebury surpassed retired North Melbourne great Brent Harvey to become the league’s all-time games leader.
“This is a little bit different because it is an individual [milestone] but I’ve tried to lap it up and enjoy it. “It’s pretty funny; I was just doing some shopping yesterday down in Elwood and they clapped me when I walked out, and I was holding a pumpkin. It’s been fun and I’ve enjoyed it, and now’s the easy part where you get to go out and play.” Pendlebury shared with Fox Footy prior to the match. “It’s probably the best thing I’ve ever received in footy,”
Reflecting on a recent humorous moment, he added, “I was a little bit shocked when I opened them up during the week and each kid had designed a boot. I’ve got them down there and I can’t wait to put them on.”
Pendlebury also showcased custom Puma boots designed by his children, a personal touch that added to the occasion.
“That’s pretty naive to think we would do that,” he commented. “It’s going to be amazing to have that many people here and we’re so fortunate to play in front of these crowds all the time,”
The lead-up to this milestone match was marked by significant attention on Pendlebury and how Collingwood has managed their veteran star. There were discussions about whether the focus had shifted from the team to Pendlebury as an individual.
Pendlebury, who had showcased his skills in the recent Anzac Day match, was “For a lot of fans to be able to get here and pack this house out today will be really special. There’s nothing better than the ‘G on a Saturday afternoon in front of ninety thousand.” by being sidelined in two of the last three games, which included a draw against Hawthorn and a narrow defeat to Sydney.
These selection decisions faced considerable scrutiny, with critics suggesting that Collingwood had strategically chosen West Coast as an easier opponent for Pendlebury’s milestone match.
“That’s pretty naive to think we would do that,” McRae responded this week.
Collingwood (5-5-1) secured a vital 10-point victory over the Eagles (3-8), who had recently shown improvement following a strong performance against GWS Giants.
Pendlebury marked his historic game with 20 disposals and five clearances, while the match’s margin served as a fitting tribute to his iconic No. 10 jersey.
A record crowd of 90,028 attended the MCG for this momentous occasion, setting the record for the largest home-and-away attendance for a match between the Magpies and Eagles.
“It’s going to be amazing to have that many people here, and we’re so fortunate to play in front of these crowds all the time,” Pendlebury noted before the game. “For a lot of fans to be able to get here and pack this house out today will be really special. There’s nothing better than the ‘G on a Saturday afternoon in front of ninety thousand.”
