Australian Football Association of North America

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

In Round 12, 2008, Collingwood Coach Mick Malthouse, Sydney Coach Paul Roos and Essendon defender Dustin Fletcher each will achieve a significant milestone in their careers:

It will be the 750th game in which Mick Malthouse has been involved as a player and coach. He played 53 games for St. Kilda and 121 games for Richmond. He coached Footscray (now Western Bulldogs) in 135 games before coaching West Coast in 243 games. Round 12 marks his 198th game as coach of Collingwood. He becomes only the fourth person in the game's history to reach the mark behind only Kevin Sheedy, Jock McHale, and Leigh Matthews. The five leaders are:

Kevin Sheedy: 886 games, comprising 251 games as a player for Richmond and 635 Premiership games as Essendon coach

Jock McHale: 878 games, comprising 261 games for Collingwood as a player and player-coach and then a further 617 Premiership games as non-playing coach

Leigh Matthews: 782 games, comprising 332 games as a player for Hawthorn, 224 games as Collingwood coach and 226 games as Brisbane Coach

Mick Malthouse

David Parkin: 729 games, comprising 211 games as a player for Hawthorn, 94 games as Hawthorn coach, 355 games as Carlton coach and 69 games as Fitzroy coach (the Fitzroy Lions merged with the Brisbane Bears to become the Brisbane Lions at the end of 1996)

Essendon defender Dustin Fletcher plays his 287th game to equal Sergio and Stephen Silvagni for the all-time record of combined games (551) by a father and son. Ken Fletcher played 264 games for Essendon.

Sergio Silvagni played 239 games for Carlton and Stephen played 312 games for Carlton. The five leading father-son combinations are:

Sergio and Stephen Silvagni
Ken and Dustin Fletcher

Michael and Shane Tuck (506 games): Michael played 426 games for Hawthorn and son Shane has played 80 games for Richmond to date

Ted Whitten, Sr. & Ted Whitten, Jr (465 games).: Ted Sr. played 321 games for Footscray and Ted, Jr. played 144 games for Footscray

Michael and Travis Tuck (431 games): Michael's 426 plus five games played to date by Travis Tuck for Hawthorn

Sydney Coach Paul Roos reaches 500 games as a player and coach: he played 269 games for Fitzroy, 87 games for Sydney and coaches his 143rd game with Sydney. He becomes the 15th person in league history to reach 500 games behind Kevin Sheedy, Jock McHale, Leigh Matthews, Mick Malthouse and David Parkin (see above), Ron Barassi (719 games as a player and coach), Norm Smith (659 games), Allan Jeans (652 games), Robert Walls (606 games), Tom Hafey (589 games), John Kennedy (575 games), Percy Bentley (546 games), Dick Reynolds (517 games) and Phonse Kyne (511 games).

Source: Patrick Keane, AFL Media Release