Brad Sanderson will once again have his name etched in the record books by playing in his 409th game for West Preston-Lakeside this weekend.
Sanderson will break a long-standing club record held by Ken Louder when the ladder-leading Roosters host last year’s Division 2 premier Hurstbridge at J.E Moore Park on Saturday.
Sanderson, whose tally includes junior and open-age games, has been selected for the Roosters’ senior team this week.
He began playing for the Roosters in the under-11 competition in 1993. The hard-working on-baller then worked his way through the ranks to make his senior debut in 2001.
“A lot of blokes sort of stop playing at 25 or so, I’m glad I’ve just kept playing on,” Sanderson told NFL.org.au.
After celebrating his 400th game in last year’s Round 12 match up against Heidelberg, Sanderson said that it wasn’t the games milestone that made him most proud.
“I guess what means a lot to me is that I’m a one-club player, been through juniors and everything.”
Sanderson didn’t stutter when stating his career highlight – the Division 1 senior premiership in 2010 sticks out in his mind.
“For seven years before that we were really fighting, a few times we were battling for relegation,” he said.
“It was our first finals appearance in a long time and we won it. It’s definitely a highlight.”
Sanderson has also won two reserve grade premierships with the Roosters, to go along with both the league and club best and fairest awards he won in the same competition in 2014.
Sanderson said that while these accolades will be great to look back on when his career is over, the club is more focussed on the year ahead.
“If the club’s playing finals, which it looks like we might this year, it’s a happy place to be.”
West Preston Lakeside will look to make it three wins on the trot to start off the season this weekend at J.E Moore Park.
The Roosters beat last year’s Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 premier Heidelberg and 2016 finalist Northcote Park in the opening fortnight.
