Overview
- Scott Pendlebury will play his 433rd VFL/AFL match on Saturday, May 23 at the MCG to pass Brent Harvey as the competition’s all‑time games leader.
- Broad commercial plans are in place for the match including a dedicated 'Pendles Cam', special merchandise and limited-edition guernseys that were to be auctioned.
- The AFL granted Pendlebury an above‑normal share of memorabilia revenue, reported near 90 percent and to be audited by the league, while Pendlebury has said only one match‑worn jumper will go to the official auction and several will be kept by his family and the club.
- Critics point to Collingwood’s recent resting of Pendlebury and the choice of West Coast as the opponent as evidence of fixture management to favour the milestone, a claim coach Craig McRae rejects, and West Coast say they will prioritise winning the game rather than the celebration.
- Beyond the single match the dispute matters because it could create a precedent for sending milestone earnings outside club salary cap accounting and may prompt clearer AFL rules or tighter limits on memorabilia arrangements.