The AFL milestones to look forward to at your club in 2020

Two of the AFL’s most revered captains are close to adding to their long list of accolades. This is when Trent Cotchin and Scott Pendlebury are due to break records, plus the milestones at all 18 clubs to watch for in 2020.

Glenn McFarlane

5 min read

June 22, 2020 - 3:03PM

Gary Ablett of the Cats (centre) celebrates a goal with Joel Selwood (left) and Patrick Dangerfield during the Round 5 AFL match between the Hawthorn Hawks and the Geelong Cats at the MCG in Melbourne, Monday, April 22, 2019. (AAP Image/Daniel Pockett) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

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There’s plenty of milestones for fans to look forward to as the longest season in VFL/AFL history unfolds.

Here’s when you can look forward to celebrating some of your club’s favourites in 2020.

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Taylor Walker is poised to become Adelaide’s leading goalkicker, overtaking Tony Modra.

ADELAIDE

The goals have dried up for Taylor Walker so far this year, but the former skipper is poised to become the leading goalkicker in Adelaide’s AFL history. The 30-year-old has booted 428 goals, which puts him 12 behind the current leader Tony Modra. Walker (191 games) and Daniel Talia (188) will also likely join Rory Sloane (201) in the 200-club.

BRISBANE LIONS

Great to see Grant Birchall play his 250th AFL game — in his second for the Lions — in last night’s clash. Saturday night was Daniel Rich’s 210th AFL match. If he played the full complement of games this season plus three finals, he would enter the Brisbane top 10 in terms of most games played. Mitch Robinson is only six games away from his 200th with the Lions and the Blues, while Stefan Martin needs 15 more from his time at the Lions and Demons.

Scott Pendlebury is in line to become Collingwood’s games record holder.

Kade Simpson has drawn level with Carlton icon John Nicholls in 328 games.

CARLTON

There is good news and bad news for Blues veteran Kade Simpson. On Saturday night he drew level with Blues icon John Nicholls on 328 games, which is third on the club’s overall list. Those ahead of him are Craig Bradley (375) and Bruce Doull (356). But Simpson will also inherit the unwanted tag of being the player who has suffered the most losses from Fitzroy champion Kevin Murray, who has held that for almost 50 years. As far as perseverance goes, Sam Docherty deserves a special mention. He is only five games away from his 100th.

COLLINGWOOD

Barring injury, Scott Pendlebury will become Collingwood’s games record holder this year. Saturday was his 304th game. He is bearing down on two of club’s greatest players in Tony Shaw (313) and Gordon Coventry (306). Pendlebury has also played 199 games at the MCG. His 200th at the venue will likely come up in Round 5 against Essendon, which would draw him level with the record-holder Kevin Bartlett. Pendlebury is also nine games away from Nathan Buckley’s record of 161 games as Magpies’ skipper. Steele Sidebottom is only 13 games shy of becoming the 14th Magpie to reach 250 games, and Jeremy Howe might reach 200 later in the year too from his time at the Pies and Demons.

Cale Hooker will soon become a 200-game player for Essendon.

ESSENDON

Cale Hooker is only six games shy of reaching the 200-game milestone, while Michael Hurley (181) might fall just short this year unless the Bombers play a full complement of finals. Three finals this year would see John Worsfold reach the 600-game tally as a player and coach. He will become the fifth Essendon coach to reach 100 games later in the year. If the Bombers do play four finals this year — reaching the Grand Final — it will be the club’s 2500th game.

FREMANTLE

Brandon Matera is only 10 games away from reaching 150 games with the Suns and the Dockers. Michael Walters is 36 goals away from becoming only the second Fremantle player in history to reach 300 or more goals. He won’t catching Matthew Pavlich on 700 goals, though.

Gary Ablett and Joel Selwood are on track to reach milestones in the same game.

GEELONG

How fitting would it be if Gary Ablett and Joel Selwood reached their 350th and 300th game milestones at GMHBA Stadium in Round 5? Selwood has captained the Cats on 188 occasions and will this year become the sixth player in history to captain a team 200 times or more. Patrick Dangerfield played his 250th last round, but is only three games off clocking up 100 with the Cats. Jack Steven (184) needs everything to go right to reach his 200th.

GOLD COAST

Jarrod Harbrow is only three games away from registering his 250th AFL match — with 177 of them coming with the Suns. David Swallow is nine games away from becoming only the second Suns player to register 150 games.

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

Toby Greene missed the feisty Friday night clash with the Bulldogs, but is poised to become the fourth Giant to reach 150 games. He is just three games short, while Lachie Whitfield and Stephen Coniglio will also likely get there in 2020. Matt de Boer is only 10 games short of reaching his 200th game from two clubs. The Giants themselves will play their 200th game later in the season, while Shane Mumford needs some luck and eight more games to reach 200 from his three clubs.

Shaun Burgoyne will have to play on next year to reach 400 games.

HAWTHORN

A little milestone snuck under the guard in Round 2 when the Hawks played their 2000th game, albeit the Geelong loss meant they weren’t celebrating. Shaun Burgoyne won’t reach 400 this season, but displaced Simon Madden on Thursday night as sixth on the AFL all-time list with 379 games. He should go past Robert Harvey in a month as fifth overall. Burgoyne (253 wins) will also likely displace Kevin Bartlett (260) as the second-most winning player in history — Michael Tuck leads the way with 302. Jack Gunston (195) Paul Puopolo (192) and Ben Stratton (191) aren’t far away from 200 games.

MELBOURNE

All eyes on Nathan Jones to see if he can get back into the senior side and play the 13 games required to join David Neitz as the only Demons to reach 300 games. Michael Hibberd and Adam Tomlinson will likely get their 150 games — as Neville Jetta did last week — with Steven May needed everything to go right to do the same.

NORTH MELBOURNE

Todd Goldstein should become the 11th North Melbourne player to represent the club in 250 or more games. Yesterday was his 237th game. Shaun Atley made it to 200 games against the Swans, following milestones from Robbie Tarrant (150) and Jasper Pittard (150) last week. The Kangaroos will play their 2000th VFL-AFL game in Round 14.

PORT ADELAIDE

Brad Ebert will reach 250 games next week, having played 76 with the Eagles at the start of his career. Former Lion Tom Rockliff is also edging closer to his 200th with tonight’s game taking him to 193. Ollie Wines and Tom Jonas will make it to 150, while Charlie Dixon is also a chance.

Trent Cotchin is close to becoming the 16th Richmond player to feature in 250 games.

RICHMOND

Trent Cotchin is 13 games away from becoming the 16th Richmond player to represent the club in 250 games and only 11 short of Percy Bentley’s record of 168 games as Tigers’ captain. If the Tigers play finals, Damien Hardwick (234 games) will pass Tom Hafey (248) as the most Richmond games coached. Nick Vlastuin is seven games off 150. Jack Riewoldt is 16 goals from becoming the fourth Richmond player to kick 650 goals.

ST KILDA

Saints recruit Paddy Ryder is only a month away from reaching the 250 mark from his three clubs. Fellow recruit Brad Hill played his 150th game in Round 1. Heart and soul skipper Jarryn Geary didn’t play last night, but needs 10 games to reach 200 games. Jake Carlisle could also get to 150 games this season.

Sydney champion Josh Kennedy will soon play his 250th AFL game.

SYDNEY

We all hoped this would be the year Lance Franklin reached the magical 1000-goal mark, but his long-term hamstring injury has ruined that for this season. If he gets back later in the season, he is six goals off the 950 mark and 26 goals off sixth place on the AFL list. Josh Kennedy is due to play his 250th game next week and Luke Parker his 200th the week after.

WEST COAST

Shannon Hurn will go to No. 2 on the West Coast all-time games list in just over a month’s time, overtaking Glen Jakovich. He is also only 15 games off John Worsfold’s record as the most games as Eagles’ skipper. Josh Kennedy played his 246th game last night and will soon reach 250. Andrew Gaff played his 200th game on Saturday night, while Jack Darling and Lewis Jetta will likely do the same the following week.