It’s one of the most remarkable feats in the history of the game and there’s some even more remarkable numbers behind it.

While the 433 is the key metric being celebrated when Scott Pendlebury becomes the V/AFL’s all-time leader for games played on Saturday, it’s the years of work since his debut almost two decades ago to the day that have made it possible.

So, we’ve run the numbers on everything the Pies legend has done since he first pulled on the black and white, helping him chart his way to the top of such a prestigious list.

The numbers

23,069,849 – The ridiculous amount of fans Pendlebury has played in front of throughout his career. 273 of his games have come at the MCG with its more than 100,000 capacity crowd, with matches such as numerous Anzac Days and five Grand Finals helping form the wild number.

21882 – That’s how many coffees Pendlebury has probably consumed since he began his career at AFL level. It’s based on the model that the Pies champion, who unashamedly loves a brew, has averaged three a day across a 21-season career. Perhaps caffeine is the secret to breaking records after all.

10,955 –Pendlebury’s disposals tally across his 432 games. It means this Saturday’s game will likely see even more history created, with the record-breaker set to become the first person in the league’s history to reach 11,000 career touches.

7294 – That’s how many days have passed since Pendlebury’s debut match on 3 June, 2006, and Saturday’s contest with the West Coast Eagles, where he’ll step onto an AFL field for the 433rd time. Almost two decades to the date since his career began, Pendlebury makes history as the most capped player of all time.

1680 – The estimated amount of main trainings Pendlebury has suited up for over his time at Collingwood. With 21 years under his belt and often upwards of 40 weeks a year spent training either during or pre-season, it’s a remarkable body of work. And that’s not to mention the Captain’s Runs, weights sessions, and solo trainings he’s no doubt been part of too.

332 – How many times Pendlebury has run out alongside Steele Sidebottom in black and white. With their time as teammates dating back to Sidebottom’s debut in 2009, the pair’s remarkable durability and permanence in the Pies’ line-up saw them set the record for the most ever games as teammates in the league’s history last year – a benchmark they are still setting in 2026.

261 – How many times Pendlebury has sung ‘Good Old Collingwood Forever’ after an AFL win. It’s a strong 61% win record, with his most prolific season coming in 2011 when the Pies triumphed 22 times, while his premiership seasons in 2010 and 2023 both yielded 20 wins.

225 - Brownlow votes - the most by anyone to never win the award. It ranks him sixth all-time for votes and he leads the pack for Magpies over the award's history. He finished equal-third in the 2011 count with 24 votes and equal-fifth two years later with 21 votes, with the early 2010s his most prolific seasons.

207 – The number of goals Pendlebury has kicked in his career. While not a known scorer having been deployed largely through the middle and across half-back in his 432 matches, he still sits above the likes of Brownlow medallists Jimmy Bartel (202) and Gavin Wanganeen (201) for career majors.

206 – The number of times Pendlebury ran out as Collingwood skipper. Taking the reins from Nick Maxwell ahead of the 2014 season, the ‘C’ next to the number 10’s name was a mainstay for nine seasons. By the end of 2022, Pendlebury was ready to hand the captaincy over to Darcy Moore, having overseen 206 games in charge – a Club record.

176 – That’s how many teammates Pendlebury has played with since his career started back in 2006. From the likes of the legendary Nathan Buckley, Dane Swan and of course Steele Sidebottom, to those who popped up for a game or two across 20 years, Pendlebury has played with almost 20% of players in the Club’s 134-year history.

43 – This number was originally 42, until an Anzac Day masterclass just weeks ago gave Pendlebury a new benchmark for disposals in a single game. While he’s the most prolific disposal-gatherer in the game’s history, it was only the second time in his career he broke the 40-disposal barrier, with the first being a 2013 contest against Adelaide where he collected 42 touches. This year’s 43 on the home and away calendar’s biggest day took the champion’s status to new heights, with the 38-year-old racking up 19 score involvements in the dominant display.

33 – Since his first back in 2007, Pendlebury has played in 33 finals over the course of his career – the most of all active players. That maiden September clash was an Elimination Final against Sydney, part of a campaign where the Pies got within a kick of the decider in his second season. He would be a regular participant in post-season action in the early parts of his career, racking up 17 appearances by the end of his eighth season. A hiatus between 2014 – 17 was rectified by making runs to at least a Preliminary Final in 2018, ’19, ’22, ’23 and ’25 in the second half of his career. There’s every chance that number will rise this year too, as the Pies vie for another September berth.

29 – How many disposals Pendlebury had in his Norm Smith Medal winning performance in the 2010 Grand Final Replay. Below is best the week before – owing to illness that saw him lose six kilos before the match – the then 22-year-old bounced back from the draw the week before with best on ground honours, to guide the Pies to their 15th premiership.

21 – The remarkable number of seasons at the top level the champion has played (so far). Beginning his career in 2006, the left-footer is still going two decades later.

16 & 10 – The two jumper numbers Pendlebury has donned throughout his illustrious career. He spent only a fleeting amount of time in the 16, wearing it during his maiden season, before he switched to the 10 which he has brandished on his back since 2007. The jumper switch came about on the back of former teammate Blake Caracella – whose career unfortunately ended on the same night Pendlebury debuted due to a neck injury – encouraging him to drop down to his vacated number 10. The number will be adorned in gold on Saturday night to mark the significance of the occasion.

14 – The remarkable number of times Pendlebury has finished on the podium in a BnF count. The Magpies legend has attended 20 Copeland Trophy events, and there’s only been six times where he hasn’t ended the night inside the top three. He finished runner up in his second season in 2007 and third in 2008, before not missing the podium at all between 2010-16.

10 - The tally of VFL games Pendlebury accumulated in his first season. All of them came with Williamstown - the Pies' former VFL affiliate - back in 2006, before Pendlebury made an off-season pledge to never play in the second-tier again. It's a mantra he's stuck to, having never added to his 10 VFL games in his 20 seasons since. 

6 – How many All Australian blazers are sitting in Pendlebury’s cabinet. It was an amazing period in the star’s career between 2010-14, where he collected five consecutive nods, before he earned a sixth blazer after a standout 2019 season.

5 – The amount of times Pendlebury has taken home the Copeland Trophy, awarded to Collingwood’s Best & Fairest. He took his first home in 2011, a season where the Pies reached the Grand Final, before winning a remarkable four straight between 2013-16. Pendlebury’s five is bettered only by former teammates and coach Nathan Buckley in Collingwood’s 134-year history.

4 – Anzac Day Medals – the most in the game’s history. Pendlebury went back-to-back in 2010-11 in comfortable Pies wins, before he claimed his third in a 2019 thriller that saw the black and white triumph by just four points. Many expected that might be it, but a vintage performance earlier this year saw him claim his fourth in barely-believable style, collecting a new career-high 43 touches in the process.

4 – Pendlebury’s highest goal tally in a single match. Not a known goal-kicker, the midfielder was on target in Round 8, 2012, finding the big sticks four times as the Pies won a thrilling Friday night blockbuster against Geelong.

3 – The number of senior coaches the champion Pie has had. The legendary Mick Malthouse was the first, helping mould the young left-footer into the champion he would become, before former teammate Nathan Buckley became Pendlebury’s mentor throughout the prime of his career. Craig McRae took over in 2022 as Pendlebury’s third coach, overseeing the 2023 Premiership and the twilight of the legend’s career. The caveat of course is his one-time opponent Robert Harvey served as interim coach in 2021, following Buckley's mid-season departure. 

2 – Premiership medals. Collingwood’s triumphs in 2010 and 2023 are two of the most iconic premierships in AFL history and Pendlebury was integral to both. Having endured a draw the week earlier, Pendlebury put on a masterclass to earn the Norm Smith Medal in Collingwood’s 2010 triumph, before he helped guide the black and white to a nail-bitting premiership in 2023.