Scott Pendlebury has been revealed as the key driver in the decision to have every Collingwood player wear gold numbers on their black-and-white jumpers in his AFL record-breaking appearance.
The 38-year-old also revealed that a ‘crazy’, match-stopping moment involving Pies fans made him feel ‘uncomfortable’ when he was honoured at the 10-minute mark of the first quarter.
The Magpies had drawn criticism in the build-up to the clash with West Coast when it was initially reported they planned to have only the milestone man wearing the special design.
But the entire playing group ran out in a matching colour scheme at the MCG on Saturday, to the delight of most in the massive crowd of 90,028 fans.
‘There was a bit of a collective but Pendles drove it. He’s a team man and he drove it hard,’ Pies coach Craig McRae said.
‘I came in late in the process and he said, ‘What if we all wear it?’ I said, ‘That would be amazing’.
‘And when they ran out on the ground you just had that feeling … I got quite emotional about it and so proud of being part of this incredible footy club.’
Scott Pendlebury is pictured being chaired off the MCG after breaking the AFL’s record for games played on Saturday
‘Pendles’ (pictured in No.10) drove the secret move that saw all his teammates wear gold numbering to mark his 433rd match
The 38-year-old (pictured celebrating with his son and daughter) had an intense build-up to his history-making match
Collingwood kept the gold numbers plan a secret until a few minutes before the first ball-up.
‘I’m glad that we could keep it under wraps because there’s a few people out there that love to leak that sort of stuff,’ Pendlebury told reporters post-match.
‘They do it because they want to try and steal the moment from the fans and the club.
‘I’m really glad as a football club we could keep that under wraps for a long period of time and then come out, because I think the fans deserved to see it first.’
It was an intense build-up to Pendlebury’s special day, with the 38-year-old rightfully celebrated in the public spotlight ahead of his 433rd AFL game.
He laughed as he revealed he had even been applauded while walking out of an Elwood supermarket during the week with a pumpkin in his arms.
But Collingwood were also criticised over their handling of the veteran midfielder, managing him out of multiple games and accused of ‘hand-picking’ West Coast as an easy kill for the milestone match.
Pendlebury said his initial plan was to break North Melbourne legend Brent Harvey’s record against great rival Geelong in round nine, after sitting out the preceding clash with Hawthorn.
Fans rose and held up signs honouring Pendlebury at the 10-minute mark of the first quarter
Pendlebury said the match-stopping moment was ‘crazy’ but ‘uncomfortable at the same time’
An Achilles injury threw a spanner in the works, but Pendlebury was pleased with the outcome as he lapped up the admiration from fans at a packed MCG.
‘After today, I’m glad that I did it here with the amount of people that came and the spectacle it was,’ he said.
Fans rose to their feet at the 10-minute mark of the first quarter to applaud Pendlebury, holding up signs that had been handed out pre-game.
‘It was crazy just to look up and the whole game just sort of stopped,’ Pendlebury said.
‘I don’t know whether it was supposed to stop, but the West Coast guy didn’t want to kick it in.
‘It was phenomenal for everyone to acknowledge me and it was a little bit uncomfortable at the same time.’
As it turned out, West Coast were anything but a pushover, cutting a 29-point margin back to three points with more than seven minutes remaining before the Pies steadied.
Pendlebury started in the centre square and was the victim of an aggressive fend-off by Harley Reid in the opening seconds.
The veteran quickly levelled the score, sending his much younger opponent over the boundary line minutes later with a strong bump.
Pendlebury finished with 20 disposals and five clearances despite close attention from Willem Duursma and Brady Hough.
‘We knew West Coast are improving and getting better, they’ve got some great young talent, they’re very big and their midfield is up and going,’ Pendlebury said.
‘So it was a contest we expected, especially off the back of last week and how well they finished.
‘It was a game that we knew was going to come and with the occasion as well there was going to be a bit added to it. It was a great game and I’m glad we won.’
Pendlebury, who is also nursing a left hand injury, isn’t sure how long he will keep playing, but is showing no significant signs of slowing down.
‘I love the game and I want the opportunity to play for as long as I can,’ he said.
‘The thing that I’m sort of trying to wrap my head around is yes, I broke the record, but the end goal is a flag.
‘That’s what I want to get this year and I might finish on 450, 460, 440 (games) – I don’t know.
‘I just want to keep preparing because I love the process and I’m looking forward to getting in an ice bath tomorrow, starting again and playing the Bulldogs next week.’
