Footy fans have slammed the AFL's decision to allow Collingwood star Scott Pendlebury to wear a dazzling gold No.10 on his jersey during his record-breaking match next month. The Magpies veteran, 38, is just one game shy of Brent Harvey's 432 career appearances, all with North Melbourne.
Pendlebury's Path to the Record
Pendlebury – who won't play against Hawthorn on Thursday night as he is being 'managed' – is tipped to play game number 433 in Collingwood's clash with West Coast on May 23 at the MCG. He is likely to play against Geelong on May 9, but will then sit out the away clash against the Swans six days later.
The Magpies asked if Pendlebury could don the special one-off kit for his milestone 433rd game, with the league approving the request. Many supporters went online to vent their fury at the decision, which they see as cringeworthy and putting one player above his team.
Fan Reaction
One fan labelled the decision by the AFL an 'absolute farce' and also felt it was a 'massive breach of integrity'. Another pointed out that AFL is a 'team sport' and 'personal achievements should be put aside'. A third posted on X that the decision was 'embarrassing for both the club and the AFL'.
- 'Absolute farce... let the club do a celebration, but to single him out on the field is a massive breach of integrity,' posted one on X.
- 'Not cool... it is a team sport, personal achievements should be put aside while on the field,' argued another.
- 'This has reached stupidity levels, it's embarrassing for both the club and the AFL,' a third bluntly offered.
- A fourth weighed in with: 'Surely this is a laugh! I must have missed Brent Harvey's special jumper when he broke the record (in 2016).'
Coach's Perspective
Despite a commanding performance against Essendon on ANZAC Day, Collingwood coach Craig McRae confirmed Pendlebury won't feature versus the Hawks. 'He was pretty keen to miss this game, so he'll be managed,' McRae told reporters on Tuesday. 'It's hard to predict the future, we are just living in the moment... it's a delicate balance, this one.'
McRae added: 'I've had some conversations with the executive team, and truthfully I said: "can you just keep that (planned celebrations) on the other side of the building because we are here to perform and can we just get that right?" There are all sorts of things going on behind the scenes to celebrate 'Pendles'... we don't want to miss that.'
