Scott Pendlebury took to the field alongside his children, Jax and Darcy, marking his record-breaking 433rd match for Collingwood in front of a packed MCG crowd.
In a thrilling twilight match against West Coast, over 90,000 fans gathered to honor Pendlebury’s remarkable achievement.
In a surprising gesture, all Collingwood players sported a gold number on their jumpers in tribute to Pendlebury, following initial criticism of the club’s plan to have only him wear the distinctive number.
“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 before the game. “It is different, and since ‘Fly’ [McRae] has been here we’ve been really big on actually embracing the occasion,”
With this game, Pendlebury surpasses retired North Melbourne legend Brent Harvey as the all-time games record holder in the AFL.
“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,”
He added with a laugh, “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-designed Puma boots, which were decorated by his children.
“That’s pretty naive to think we would do that,” he remarked. “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 focus leading up to this milestone match centered on how Collingwood managed their veteran player, with discussions emerging about whether the preparations emphasized Pendlebury’s individual achievement over team considerations.
After a strong performance on Anzac Day, Pendlebury 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 missing two out of three previous games, which led to a draw against Hawthorn and a narrow defeat to Sydney.
This decision faced significant scrutiny, with critics suggesting that Collingwood had “hand-picked” West Coast as an easier opponent for Pendlebury’s milestone match.
“That’s pretty naive to think we would do that,” McRae responded to the criticism earlier this week.
Following the match, Collingwood improved to a 5-5-1 record, securing a tense 10-point win over West Coast, who had recently shown promise by defeating GWS Giants.
Pendlebury celebrated his milestone with a solid performance, recording 20 disposals and five clearances, and the final score reflected a fitting tribute to his iconic No. 10 jumper.
With 90,028 spectators in attendance, this event marked the highest home-and-away crowd for a Magpies-Eagles match in history.
“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 expressed 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.”
