VAFA: Old Peninsula champion Shaun Payze to kick on

Old Peninsula champion Shaun Payze, stuck on 399 VAFA senior games, talks about sitting on the couch this winter and his future plans.

Pirates champion Shaun Payze has kicked over 1000 goals.

Shaun Payze has been playing football for Peninsula Old Boys since last century and, at 40, is not about to let a global pandemic force him into retirement.

The Pirates champion, stuck on 399 senior games, has declared, “I’m definitely planning to play on’’.

“I don’t want to retire on the back of a cancelled season,’’ he said.

In an extraordinary career that began in 1998, Payze has played all but one game in Peninsula Old Boys’ firsts.

Payze runs through a banner for his 300th game in 2013.

His one and only reserves game came in that first season when he was dropped after five games.

“The coach thought I was getting a bit ahead of myself and getting a bit lazy so he dropped me to the reserves to make a bit of a point early in my career,” Payze said.

“I certainly learnt the lesson fairly quickly.”

So, overall, Payze has played 400 VAFA games (399 in the firsts and one in the reserves), putting him in an elite club.

Only Peter Brabender, the Old Paradians champion, has played more VAFA games.

There was expectation this year that Payze would break Brabender’s games record, thought to be 407.

But in a recent twist, the mark has been upgraded.

“In the VAFA, they count under 19s and reserves games,’’ Payze said.

“So the games record is more like 420 games or something. It’s a long way away for me at this point.

Payze has worn the Pirates number 27 for two decades.

“It does complicate it. It pushes the figure out. That’s something that came about recently. To be honest, it doesn’t worry me much. We never had under 19s when I started…I’ll keep playing until I can’t get a kick anymore and if that means I break the record, I break the record. If I don’t, it’s far from the end of the world.

“It would have been good to get it out of the way this year because I need to retire at some point.’’

Payze said he’s actually enjoyed the enforced break from footy this year.

“I will say, to be honest, I haven’t missed playing to all that much this year,’’ he said.

“That probably means retirement is getting closer than I thought.

“I miss the social interaction obviously but the running around and stuff, it’s hard to be upset sitting on the couch. I’m sure I’ll get bored soon.

Shaun Payze marks.

“You just get caught in the cycle of football (and) training, that’s just the way my life was. Now you have a different view of things. I’ve enjoyed the break.’’

SHAUN PAYZE

399 senior games.

1003 goals.

6 x club B & Fs (5 x runners up).

1 x League B & F.

4 x League leading goalkicker (best 102 goals in 2005).

Biggest haul was 16 in a game.

VAFA (Vic amateur) rep team 2000.

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