Dustin Fletcher: Facts and figures of 400 games

DUSTIN Fletcher could have played 500 games and he’s about to hit the 6000-disposal mark. There’s two Fletch facts. We’ve got a lot more.

26/09/1993. 1993 Grand Final. Essendon v Carlton. MCG. Sean Denham, Joe Misiti and Dustin Fletcher with premiership cup. Champagne.

DUSTIN Fletcher will become the third player in VFL-AFL history to reach 400 games this weekend.

That’s boring. Here are some far more interesting facts and figures from his remarkable 23-season career:

MILESTONE MAN: HIRD DRAWS ON FLETCHER INSPIRATION

RETROSPECTIVE: HOW DID YOUR CLUB LOOK WHEN DUSTIN DEBUTED?

FLETCHER HAS ...

— Played alongside 166 teammates

— Played in 12 finals series and 23 Finals

— Played in 234 wins, 160 losses and 5 draws

— Played against Carlton 40 times — more than any other club

— Played four matches against Fitzroy (for three wins and one loss)

— Played at 14 different venues. He has only played one game at Kardinia Park

— Had eight or more defensive 50 rebounds 83 times (the most ever)

— Had eight or more one-percenters 73 times

— The second highest kick to handball ratio of current players, behind only Travis Cloke

Thanks to @adidasAU for this awesome gift! A one off guernsey featuring all 164 players to play with #Fletch400. pic.twitter.com/Opc2FcwGFJ

— Essendon FC (@EssendonFC) May 29, 2015

COACHES AND FRIENDS

15 current coaches played against or alongside Fletcher:

Nathan Buckley, James Hird, Chris Scott, Brad Scott, Paul Roos, Ross Lyon, Damien Hardwick, Leon Cameron, Justin Leppitsch, Alastair Clarkson, Ken Hinkley, Alan Richardson, John Longmire, Luke Beveridge, Adam Simpson.

Fletcher takes a hanger over current Brisbane coach Justin Leppitsch in 1997.

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

— Fletcher has missed 123 games in total, 20 through suspension and the rest as a result of injury/form — meaning he could have played a possible total of 522 games

— He has missed 20 matches through suspension on 16 separate charges

— He has never played fewer than 13 games a season

CAREER STATS

Kicks: 4535

Handballs: 1387

Marks: 1749

Disposals: 5922

Goals: 71

Behinds: 50

Hitouts: 136

Tackles: 450

Running Bounces: 82

Brownlow votes: 62

Fletcher collars a young Lance Franklin in 1995, one of 450 career tackles.

ON FOR YOUNG AND OLD

Fletcher was 17 years and 331 days old on debut on Saturday April 3, 1993

— 1967 players have made their debut since Fletcher

— 25 players on the GWS list weren’t born when Fletcher made his debut

— 12 players on the Essendon list weren’t born yet

AFL GAMES RECORD

426 Michael Tuck

403 Kevin Bartlett

399* Dustin Fletcher

392* Brent Harvey

383 Robert Harvey

378 Simon Madden

375 Craig Bradley

CAREER HONOURS

2000 Essendon best-and-fairest

1993, 2000 premierships

2000, 2007 All-Australian

Fletcher was barely the legal drinking age when he played in Essendon’s 1993 premiership.