Durable Pendles’ fast track
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 contrast, the humble Magpies champion tried to dance around talking about himself too much despite that being the hot topic 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 of 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.
Still starring at age 29, there are even higher goals 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.
Durability has been a key to Pendlebury’s high games tally, with matches missed through injury few and far between.
A consistent performer throughout his career – across which he has averaged more than 26 disposals and kicked 157 goals – the former No.5 draft pick from Sale has a resume to rival most of the game’s greats.
He won the Norm Smith Medal in the Magpies’ 2010 premiership, has earned AllAustralian honours five times, won five club best-and-fairests and is in his fourth season as Collingwood captain. THE Australian Women’s Sevens team finished the Sevens World Series in second position behind New Zealand after losing to them yesterday in the cup final of the France Sevens event. The Australians beat the USA (31-14) and Canada (19-14) before losing to New Zealand 22-7 in the final.
Hockeyroos win
KATHRYN Slattery scored twice as the Hockeyroos beat Spain 4-1 to progress to the quarter-finals of the World League event in Belgium. Australia bounced back from a 2-0 loss to New Zealand to dominate world No.10 Spain in their final pool clash in Brussels yesterday. Spain equalised after halftime, but the Hockeyroos pulled away with Slattery’s second, and Georgie Morgan’s conversion of a penalty corner. Emily Smith added a fourth.