Daniel Keenan becomes first player in NFL history to play 400 games
After 22 years, two clubs, four grand finals and numerous decorations, a Hurstbridge stalwart smashed the 400-game barrier on Saturday — and there’s no sign the 37-year-old is slowing down.
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Northern Football League champion Daniel Keenan smashed the 400-game barrier on Saturday — and he’s confident he still has plenty more to give.
The 37-year-old Hurstbridge star is already the competition’s games record holder and is confident of stretching his decorated career into 2020.
A 300-game legend at Montmorency, Keenan claimed two Frank Rosbrook Medals as the Division 1 best-and-fairest before returning to his junior club last year.
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Keenan played his first senior game at the Bridges as a 16-year-old in 1998, returning 20 years later determined to be a part of the club’s future success.
“At the moment there’s no significant injuries that would say I wouldn’t play again next year, and I still enjoy it,” Keenan said.
“My family come and watch and my son loves it, coming down to the club and getting around the players.
“To be honest, I’m really enjoying this year. There’s promise on the field.
“We hope to continue the improvement as a team and push toward finals and I wouldn’t want to miss out on that.”
In his 16 years at Montmorency, Keenan captained the Magpies, played in four grand finals and collected back-to-back Rosbrook Medals in 2008-09.
In 2017, Keenan passed Les Robinson’s previous games record of 358.
He hasn’t missed a game since returning to Ben Frilay Oval but admitted feeling a bit of pressure before his milestone game.
“I been lucky enough not to have had any injuries of significance, so I haven’t missed too many games for as long as I can remember,” he said.
“I knew it was coming up, more because I’d played 300 games at Montmorency, so with the games I’d already played at Hurstbridge that this year it would be coming up.
“It adds a bit of pressure in some ways … I didn’t want anything necessarily planned around it.”
Hurstbridge narrowly avoided relegation in 2018 and was expected to battle Lower Plenty for the right to remain in the top flight this season.
However, the Bridges have impressed and were still in the finals hunt before their Round 14 loss to Heidelberg.
Keenan is excited about the club’s future and the on-field development has seen coach Jarrod Tilley re-signed for 2020.
Brayden Shaw has re-committed as assistant coach and player manager, while captain Lachie East and vice-captain Tom Simpson has also re-committed.
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