Collingwood's Scott Pendlebury is set to become the sixth player to reach the 400-game milestone when the club takes on arch-rivals Carlton on Saturday night at the MCG.
The Pies are still fighting to keep their 2024 season - and premiership defence alive - while the Blues are on the hunt for a top-four berth.
Chuck in an anticipated 90,000-plus bumper crowd at one of the best stadiums in the world, and you've got yourself a stage.
The script couldn't have been written better.
But the week leading up to Pendlebury's extraordinary feat has given the footballing community the chance to stop and reflect on the kid with the "basketball background", as commentator Anthony Hudson so eloquently put it during his debut in Round 10, 2006.
"Anywhere, anytime," is a famous Ross Lyon phrase.
Paul Roos said he "really rated players whose gap between their best and worst was marginal".
Pendlebury's former coach Mick Malthouse declared that "he only rated players who play well in big games".
Three phrases that have eerily rung true for 19 seasons, and soon to be a 20th for the club legend.
"I've always taken those things on," Pendlebury said on Wednesday.
"I feel like every game in my career I've almost put a little bit of pressure on myself that it's the most important game and you have to perform because of all things great people have said about how important every week is."
And it's showed.
In his career, Pendlebury has earned the right to be renowned as one of the greatest big-game players.
Aside from his incredible consistency and record-breaking feats, the Pies champ tends to stand up in the big moments.
A 2010 Norm Smith medal hangs in his house; Three ANZAC Day (2010, 2011 and 2019) medals sit idly by his two premiership medallions (2010 and 2023), of which he was a significant contributor in both, but moreso in last year's Grand Final victory over the Lions.
Scott Pendlebury's first ever Grand Final goal was as big as they come.
How were you feeling at this moment? โฌ๏ธ๐ฌ pic.twitter.com/2vr2Lgn0Ko
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) November 8, 2023
During Wednesday's press conference, Pendlebury sat alongside the other exclusive members of the 400-game club, except Richmond legend Kevin Bartlett.
Michael Tuck. Dustin Fletcher. Brent Harvey. Shaun Burgoyne. And soon-to-be Scott Pendlebury.
"It's pretty surreal," Pendlebury said.
"I think late in Boomer's (Harvey) career I called him old because he was 36 and still playing.
"I remember playing with 'Shauny (Burgoyne) in the Australian team against Ireland in the International Rules and I remember being in awe of how good of a player and teammate he is.
"And playing against 'Fletch (Dustin Fletcher) and Boomer, they're legends of the game and it doesn't sit comfortably with me sitting there with those guys.
"I'm extremely humbled."
Pendlebury's entrance into the "exclusive club" has him inching closer to the V/AFL record of 432 games, held by North Melbourne champion Brent Harvey.
However, the Sale product has never been about individual feats but has declared that his love for the game will take him as far as needs to go.
"It's not (a motivating factor)," Pendlebury said when asked about Harvey's record.
"What is a motivating factor is playing this game for as long as I can because I love it.
"And I've been trying to think of words to say of why I've probably kept going and I think it's that I'm competitive. And anything I do I want to try and win.
"I love going out on the MCG every week and trying to compete, trying to win. I love that feeling.
"And when that feeling goes, and I feel like it's boring, that's when I know it's time to give it up or when my body fails me.
โGetting to 400 games wasn't a target, it was just to play as long as I can play, so I'll enjoy this 400 and not worry too much about trying to chase down a record and things like that.โ
Pendlebury's greatest strength is arguably his longevity and consistency, rivalling his footballing nous or his leadership skills as some of his best qualities.
He's second-to-none preparation; his training; his recovery. And in turn, his performance.
Teammate and great friend Jeremy Howe spoke onย AFL360 about how Pendlebury finds ways to make the mundane not so much.
"The greatest strength he has, even in his off-seasons, is that he sets them up every single time always different," Howe said.
"There's an opportunity to always get better and to action it every single year, he's always potentially tweaking his diet, his gym program, the way that he recovers. He's massive on his sleep.
"And then he starts implementing that to others and gets them to trial it."
But on Wednesday, Pendlebury remained coy on any unique recovery techniques he'd introduced in the past two decades, saying he's just soldiered on like every other player.
โTrying to navigate your body to play through injuries has been tricky,โ he said.
โYou might be coming back from a broken leg two weeks earlier or you've done a medial ligament and you need to try and get back in the fight, strap it up and get back out there.
โThose challenges are really tough, but I think the reason why I've done it or tried to do it is because I love being part of the team.โ
The Pies' season hands by a thread and a loss against Carlton would likely call curtains on year 2024.
However, without the need for extra motivation, Pendlebury's 400th will surely give his teammates extra fire in the belly.
