Check out the players from your club who are due to celebrate big milestones in 2019
There is nothing better than a big football milestone. But how many will your club celebrate in 2019? From the 300-game superstars to the club favourites hitting triple figures, check out who is in line to be the centre of attention next season.
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The 300-game club is set to expand in 2019, with two of the biggest names in the AFL knocking on the door.
An Adelaide excitement machine could be the first man to bring up the milestone, while another superstar forward is also closing in.
Meanwhile, three other players, who have combined for eight All-Australians between them, can potentially join the exclusive club.
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In anticipation, we’ve gone through and looked at some of the big milestones coming up at your club in 2019.
ADELAIDE
Get the popcorn ready. The human highlight reel is sure to take things to another level for this magical occasion. Barring injury, Adelaide star Eddie Betts is due to line up in his 300th game when the Crows host Gold Coast in Round 5. With the Suns red hot favourites to take out the wooden spoon, there could be plenty of ‘party time’ in this one. We expect Betts to be shooting for all sorts of goal and mark of the year contenders. He does have his own pocket to play in after all. Meanwhile, veteran Richard Douglas is 13 games off his 250th and ruckman Sam Jacobs should play game No. 200 the week before Betts’ milestone.
BRISBANE
It is shaping up as a quiet year for the Lions on the milestone front. The only big celebration on the horizon is for Daniel Rich, who is 17 games away from joining the 200-club. Interestingly, the Lions only have one player on their list who has played more games than Rich, coming in the form of Luke Hodge with 324. However, only 19 of his games have been with Brisbane. Skipper and best and fairest winner Dayne Zorko is six games shy of his 150th.
CARLTON
Flashback to the 2005 national draft and it was Marc Murphy taken with pick one and Dale Thomas selected with pick two. Who’d have imagined they’d end up playing their 250th games for the same club? Murphy will be the first man to tick off the milestone, with the former skipper stuck on 249 throughout the off-season. Thomas, who played 157 games with Collingwood before joining the navy blues, is just 12 games short of the mark.
COLLINGWOOD
Do you think the Magpies will be back in the finals next year? If you do, then it is also a fair bet the club will be celebrating a big milestone for its skipper in September. After more than a decade of dominating opposition midfields, Scott Pendlebury is just 23 games shy of the magical 300 mark. While injuries are always a concern for any veteran, Pendlebury has been ultra-durable throughout his career. Apart from missing the back end of the 2017 season, the 30-year-old has played more than 21 games in 11 of the past 12 seasons. Also on the Magpies’ milestone radar are recent recruits Lynden Dunn and Chris Mayne who are both on 196 games.
ESSENDON
They might be the kings of the trade period, but the Bombers aren’t exactly flush with experience on their list. Amazingly, the club doesn’t have one existing 200-game player going into the 2019 season. That stat won’t change drastically either, with David Zaharakis the only realistic contender to break through the barrier. Zaharakis, who has played the most matches of any Bomber, is just 13 games away from his 200th. It is going to be a lean year on the milestone front, with no player in line to reach 100 games either.
FREMANTLE
Most of his career has been spent flying under the radar, feasting on opposition midfielders who made the mistake of giving him an inch of space. But there is going to be no hiding from the spotlight for David Mundy early in 2019, with the Fremantle star within striking distance of his 300th game. Mundy will enter the year just six shy of the mark and, all things going to plan, will bring up the milestone in front of a packed house at Optus Stadium in late April. Ex-Giant turned Docker Nathan Wilson is due to run out for his 100th game in Round 2.
GEELONG
After celebrating Gary Ablett’s 300th game this year, it will be a less hectic milestone schedule for the Cats. Veteran defender Harry Taylor is just 13 games away from his 250th — but is he still a walk-up start in Geelong’s best 22? Meanwhile, underrated midfielder Mitch Duncan is 20 games short of his 200th. However, all this is just a warm up for 2020, with inspirational skipper Joel Selwood closing in on 300, Ablett eyeing 350 and Dangerfield set to play 250.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
He may be getting on in years but when it comes to experience, you can’t replace Heath Shaw. Before his season ending injury this year, the Giants had won nine of their last 10 games and were charging towards a top four berth. After the injury, the club won one more game for the season. In what will be the biggest milestone celebration in the Giants’ history, Shaw is just 18 games shy of the 300 mark. But will his body allow him to get there? Those concerned about Shaw’s late season injury should be able to rest easy with the news he has played at least 18 games every year he has been a Giant.
GOLD COAST
As you’d expect from a rebuilding expansion club, big milestones are hard to find. However, it will be a busy start to the year with new recruit Jack Hombsch, forward Aaron Young and Alex Sexton all in line to play their 100th games in the opening month of the season.
HAWTHORN
It could be an absolute milestone party at Hawthorn next year. Barring injury, there is a scenario where Ben McEvoy, Liam Shiels and Luke Breust will play their 200th games in back to back to back weeks. Have three premiership players ever done that before? Then, just four weeks later, Isaac Smith is set to join them in the 200 club. Meanwhile, defender Grant Birchall has been within striking distance of 250 games for the past two years. Will 2019 be the year he finally gets a clean run with injury? He enters the year on 245. This final one is a little out there but hear us out. Jarryd Roughead has played 25 games in a season once in his career. If he can do it again, he will play his 300th in the Grand Final.
MELBOURNE
The Melbourne media team faces a tough challenge. How are they going to fit all Max Gawn’s on field and off-field highlights into one week of celebrations? The superstar ruckman will play his 100th game in Round 1, when the Demons host Port Adelaide at the MCG. Meanwhile, hard nut co-captain Jack Viney will run out for his 100th game the following week.
NORTH MELBOURNE
They were taken with the club’s first picks in consecutive drafts and have defined North Melbourne’s shinboner spirit for more than a decade. And in 2019, enforcers Jack Ziebell and Ben Cunnington are in line to be celebrated in back-to-back weeks. The two enter the year 12 and 13 games away from their 200th milestones, with Ziebell set to reach the mark first. Before that, it will be Ben Brown who is front and centre, with the bustling full forward to play his 100th game in Round 1.
PORT ADELAIDE
It is hard to find the weeks where there isn’t a milestone at the Power, with a host of big names set to be celebrated. It will all kick off in Round 1, with gun forward Robbie Gray to run out for his 200th game. The following week, swingman Justin Westhoff will play his 250th. Across the rest of the season Travis Boak and Brad Ebert will each play their 250ths.
RICHMOND
The 2019 season is going to start with a bang for the Tigers. Premiership heroes and key position bookends Jack Riewoldt and Alex Rance will both celebrate major milestones when the Tigers run out against the Blues to kick off the new season. For Riewoldt, it will be his 250thappearance in the yellow and black while Rance will play game 200. Also in the mix for milestones are a couple of the club’s unsung heroes. Fresh off All Australian selection, Shane Edwards is 19 games shy of 250 while rebounding defender Bachar Houli is closing in on 200.
ST KILDA
The Saints could have a rare triple celebration, with Jimmy Webster, Jack Billings and Luke Dunstan all closing in on the 100-game barrier. All three enter the 2019 season on 85 games. Meanwhile, skipper Jarryn Geary is 17 games short of 200.
SYDNEY
He moved to Sydney in part to escape the Melbourne football bubble but there will be no dodging the media attention for Lance Franklin as he edges closer to 300. Buddy enters the 2019 season on 290 games, and if everything goes to plan, could play his 300th in an absolute blockbuster against Collingwood in late May. The Friday night clash from the SCG will be a ripper and you just know Buddy will have something special planned for the big occasion. This is the same man who kicked 9.4 in his 200th back in 2014.
WEST COAST
It doesn’t get any bigger than unfurling the premiership flag in front of your home fans. But the Eagles will have even more reason to celebrate in Round 2 when they host the Giants. The match will double as a celebration for hardnosed skipper Shannon Hurn, who is due to run out for his 250th game, while midfielder Chris Masten will play his 200th. Given the match will be played under lights, expect a next level party atmosphere at Optus Stadium.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Western Bulldogs fans would love nothing more than to see hardnut Liam Picken back on the field after his battles with concussion. One of the best rookie list stories in the AFL, Picken is only two games shy of running out for the 200th time in red, white and blue. Skipper Easton Wood will reach the 150 mark in the second half of the year.
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