Pendlebury hits 250 but aims higher

UNLIKE his 2010 premiership teammate Heath Shaw last week, Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury did not wheel out the best of his career statistics when he fronted the media yesterday.

In quite a contrast, the humble Magpies champion instead tried to dance around talking about himself too much despite that being the hot topic of conversation as he prepares for his 250th game against Hawthorn on Sunday.

“I think as players you just get caught up in the week-to-week so much,” Pendlebury said when asked what the milestone meant to him.

“To get to 250 I’m really proud, but I haven’t really thought about it too much.”

In reaching 250 games, Pendlebury will join Lou Richards and Peter Daicos as equal-11th on the Collingwood games record list.

The record of former teammate Dane Swan — who sits eighth on the table with 258 games — is in reach before season’s end.

But still starring at age 29, there are even higher goals than that in years to come.

“It feels really quick to this point that I’ve got to 250 and I’d love to get to 300, 350,” Pendlebury said.

Glandular fever disrupted his first season at the Magpies in 2006 but since making his debut in Round 10 that year the midfielder has played 249 of a possible 266 games.

Pendlebury is determined to down the Hawks this weekend, not because of his own milestone but because the Magpies’ season hangs on it after their 31-point loss to Port Adelaide on Saturday.