Great Achievements

[Footy Chick]

Contributed by Forum Member "Footy Chick"

Thought I'd share this one - it was a story I wrote for the SAAFL Footy News earlier in the year in tribute to Scott Darrington - a PNU veteran who was and still remains, one of the most respected blokes who ever played SAFA/SAAFL footy. He reached his 400 game milestone earlier in the year.


By Lisa Wright

Anyone who knows Scott Darrington knows that if he’d had his choice, last week would have been just another game – no hype, no limelight.

It’s the type of bloke he is; he just loves his footy and his club.

However, when one carves out a record as impressive as his, you deserve all the accolades that come your way on such an auspicious occasion.

“I didn’t even want to get carried off – it was just another game and another day,” Scott said.

Last Saturday, at almost 42 years of age (his birthday is on July 18), Scott became the first PNU player in the club’s combined 108 year history to reach the achievement of 400 club games.

He suited up for the reserves against Kilburn in front of a massive home crowd, most of them mates he’d played with over his 26 year association with the club.

He took his time about it though; he was sitting on 395 games at the beginning of the 2008 season.

Although he’s been fairly lucky where injuries are concerned, when he does something, he does it properly, including playing in the 2000 losing Division 4 grand final with a broken hand.

“In 2007 I did a medial ligament and in 2008 and did another medial ligament and hurt my hip, so this year I didn’t do any pre-season at all and starting training in the second week of the season,” Scott said.

When he first arrived at the club as a 15 year old in 1983, Payneham wore maroon and gold, were called the Devils and were a force in the now defunct SAFA competition.

Being so long ago, his memory of his first A grade game at the club is sketchy at best.

“I was a skinny kid and the first A grade game I played was against Pooraka in 1986 and I stood Colin Kirkwood, he’s probably still playing at Pooraka at the moment in the C grade or D grade,” Scott recalled.

Darrington’s loyalty to his club is unquestionable; during his early years he always ended up back at Payneham after numerous recruiting attempts from SANFL clubs eager to acquire his services.

“I went through all the junior development at Norwood… I probably didn’t quite fit their mould and played a couple of games, I enjoyed myself out here (Payneham) too much playing U18s,” he said.

“.. I played three reserves games at Westies and didn’t really get on with Kevin Morris but other than that it was all very enjoyable.”

His record speaks for itself.

He was A grade captain from 1989 to1998, he has three premierships under his belt, with a 20 year gap between the first and second flag.

Add to that five best and fairest awards, including being the only player in the history of the club to win awards in three different decades (1988, 1995 and 2002), four state side representations, including the SAAFL rep side in 1996, being SAFA state captain in 1994 and a Sportsbeat Medal victory in the same year.

Of his 400 games, 338 of those have been in the A grade.

Trying to pick a career highlight would be a hard task for any player with so many games up their sleeve but ‘Bones’ was quick to pinpoint several.

“Obviously the three premierships, the 1986 premiership coming out of juniors, into the seniors and obviously the 2005 and 2006 flags were highlights along the way, but just to see some of the kids that have come through and played, like Tyson Burrows, Billy and James Kollias, the Luka Borgs, those sort of guys, they’re the biggest highlights,” he said.

Whilst reflecting, he also recalled some of the funnier happenings on the field over the years.

“Probably having to toss the coin before a game in the change rooms against Athelstone, the ground was so muddy we couldn’t even toss the coin, Chris Griggs was the captain of Athelstone at the time,” Scott laughed.

His wife Alison, then went on to tell us about the time a very groggy Darrington “propositioned” her in front of ambulance officers after he was knocked out and taken off the field on a stretcher.

Four Hundred games equals a lot of tough opposition he’s had to stand.

“Tim Hoyle, the Edwardstown full forward, Ben Parkinson, from Flinders Park, and Chris Griggs, from Athelstone, were hard, and Sean Coad, from Salisbury North, he could kick a ball a country mile,” he said.

“Amateur league is hard because the teams always change, with SAFA you knew who you were playing, week in, week out, year after year but they were probably the hardest players to stand.”

He described Geoff Clarke and the ‘King’ Arthur Kallos as the players he’s most enjoyed playing footy with over the years.

He also spoke very highly of Todd Patfull.

“Toddy Patfull, you want hard - he was hard at the ball and hard at the body,” he said.

While he’s played his entire career in defence, Scott has kicked the odd goal, although he’s not sure how many.

He did fondly recall the time they let him loose down field.

“I kicked six goals and I was ruck roving, it was against Plympton”

When asked if game 400 meant finally hanging up the boots, a definite “no” was the answer but his response after asking if was he was going to play on long enough to pull on the boots with his son?

“Jamie’s only 13, probably not,” he laughed.

[Columbo]

Reckon 400 games of anything at any level deserves a bit of kudos, good on him, good story FC.