MILESTONE MAN: Wagstaff brings up rare feat

THIS weekend will be a special one for The Waves coach Klint Wagstaff.

Waves player Klint Wagstaff is about to play his 400th senior game. Picture: Mike Knott BUN080519WAV1

AUSSIE RULES: This weekend will be a special one for The Waves coach Klint Wagstaff.

In the AFL only four players out of more than 12,500 to play the game professionally have played more than 400 games in their career.

The feat takes dedication, skill, fitness and above all the mentality and physical strength to come back season after season to play again.

Wagstaff will notch the milestone, of 400 games, when The Waves take on Bay Power on Saturday.

His career started with the Heytesbury Football Club in Victoria in the 1990s before moving to the Timboon Devils when the club disbanded to become the Devils.

He later played for Cobden, Nirranda and Stanhope Football Clubs before moving to The Waves in 2016.

Wagstaff, in the 399 senior games, has won premierships in 1998, 2002, 2008 and was the league best and fairest in 2006 with the Demons in the Warrnambool & District Football Netball League.

He also won the AFL Wide Bay premiership with The Waves in his first season in 2016 while claiming the best on ground for the grand final.

POWER BALL: Klint Wagstaff gets some distance for The Waves in the AFL Grand Final at Brothers Sports complex in Bundaberg. Picture: Paul Donaldson BUN030916AFL5

"I was lucky that the first club I played for in Timboon was something they prided on, guys reaching milestones (and counting games),” he said.

"I always had a rough idea of how many I played with them and with game day and sporting pulse apps, it keeps a really good track of it.

"It was pretty easy to sit down and calculate.”

Wagstaff said there was a simple reason he had kept on playing.

"What drives me is the love of the game, whether it is coaching or playing,” he said.

"Touch wood, I've never had career ending injuries, I've just had injuries along the way.”

But now he has reached the milestone the retirement, he admits, is getting closer.

Klint Wagstaff in action against the Gympie Cats last year. Picture: LEEROY TODD

Wagstaff has one more goal he wants to achieve.

"To me personally it is the second last thing I want to achieve in footy,” he said.

"Getting to this is a big mark and there is only one thing left on my list.

"My young bloke (Cody) is 17 this year and played in his first senior flag last year.

"To play a senior game with him will have all my boxes checked.

"He's in Victoria, so it is a logistical matter, but hopefully we can make it happen, it would be a nice finishing touch.”

Wagstaff was confident there was at least a couple of years remaining for him to make it happen.

Klint Wagstaff takes an overhead mark. Picture: Brian Cassidy

He said the highlight wasn't the premiership or best and fairest wins, it was helping others to achieve success.

"I've been lucky enough to win premiership in juniors, under-17, reserves and seniors,” he said.

"Usually (the highlight) is winning a club best and fairest or league best and fairest, I've had the privilege and honour of wining two best and fairests in different leagues.

"But the highlight of my career has been coaching and playing with players that have played AFL.”

Wagstaff played in senior premierships with current North Melbourne player Ben Cunnington and former Adelaide Crow Luke Thompson.

He also played against the Merrett brothers Jackson and Zachary.

"To be able to do that, that was probably the highlight,” he said.

The club is planning on celebrating the day with a few tributes during the afternoon for Wagstaff.

The game starts at 4pm.

Read more in Friday's NewsMail

Originally published as MILESTONE MAN: Wagstaff brings up rare feat