History will mark Saturday, 23 May 2026 as the day football ability, skill, longevity and resilience converged to place Scott Pendlebury first among every man who has ever laced a boot in the VFL/AFL competition.
Playing his 433rd senior game in Black and White, the Collingwood champion assumes the position of all-time games record-holder — surpassing the mark set by North Melbourne’s Brent ‘Boomer’ Harvey just under a decade ago. It is a jaw-dropping achievement and one that may never be surpassed.
On behalf of the AFL, all clubs and supporters across the country, we salute Scott — not only for what he has achieved as a player, but for the man he has been across 21 extraordinary seasons since his debut.
Our game demands courage, skill and the capacity to make clear decisions at speed, under pressure and in the heat of contest. Scott Pendlebury has been its master. Time and again he has won the ball in the hottest of contests, assessed his options with uncanny clarity and made his teammates better with every disposal. Not a possession wasted.
His football CV speaks for itself: five-time Copeland Trophy winner, Norm Smith Medallist, six-time All Australian, dual premiership player and the Magpies’ longest serving captain. But statistics alone don’t capture the elegance of his game — the precision of his hands, the quality of his foot skills, the composure and the evasive skills are simply elite.
He has also been a mentor, a leader and a competitor of the highest character. And above all, a devoted husband to Alex and father to Jax and Darcy. The game is and has been better for having Scott Pendlebury in it.
Pause for a moment and consider what this record truly represents. Alongside Tony Lockett’s all-time goalkicking mark, the games record stands as one of the two great individual feats in our sport. To kick the most goals marks you as the game’s greatest finisher. To play the most games marks you apart from every other player who has ever worn a guernsey.
The names who have held the all times games record form a pantheon of our game’s greatest: Legends of our Game in Jock McHale, Gordon Coventry, Jack Dyer, Dick Reynolds, Ted Whitten, John Nicholls, Kevin Murray and Kevin Bartlett alongside Hall of Fame members in Vic Thorp, John Rantall, Michael Tuck and, most recently, Brent Harvey. Champions all. Scott Pendlebury stands easily and rightfully among them.
The target he now sets will serve as a beacon for generations of players to come.
To Scott, to Alex, Jax and Darcy, and to the Collingwood Football Club — sincere congratulations on a remarkable and historic achievement. Scott, we wish you every success as your career continues.
