ESSENDON legend Dustin Fletcher may have to wait a week before he becomes only the second 40-year-old AFL player.
The defender was presented with a birthday cake by his former coach Kevin Sheedy at training on Thursday.
He is set to become the first man to play at age 40 in 95 years but he was unsure whether he would be making the trip to Perth to take on Fremantle on Saturday night.
Match preview: Dockers v Bombers
Given Essendon is heading into successive six-day breaks and is facing a trip to the west, the Dons may rest their veteran key defender.
Fletcher was subbed off briefly under the concussion rule during Sunday's two-point win over St Kilda.
"I'm not sure - I trained all right out there today, but I will speak to Hirdy (coach James Hird) after this," Fletcher said of playing against the Dockers.
"With the six-day break coming up, we'll wait and see.
"I will go with whatever Hirdy says."
GALLERY: Fletcher's journey in pictures
St Kilda's Vic Cumberland is the only other man to have played in his 40s - he was 43 when he last played in 1920.
At 397 games, Fletcher is also on the verge of joining Hawthorn's Michael Tuck (426 games) and Richmond's Kevin Bartlett (403) as the only players to reach 400.
"I'm not sure of the secret, but I think I'm lucky," Fletcher said.
Fletcher's first AFL coach Sheedy presented him with a birthday cake.
Much to everyone's amusement, Sheedy reminded Fletcher of his long tribunal rap sheet, including a $600 fine for shaking a goalpost.
The laconic backman, who has never craved the limelight, is showing few signs of age and was among Essendon's best players again last Sunday.
"It's been all right ... it's been like any other day, main session and weights later," Fletcher said of turning 40.
"But it's good - I've had a lot of messages obviously and to turn 40 and still be playing feels all right.
"In this caper, once you get to 30, it's year-by-year stuff and as you get older, birthdays are just birthdays."
Meanwhile, his opposing coach this week, Freo’s Ross Lyon, said he’d forgotten that he played against Fletcher in 1994.
Lyon played against the Bomber in round two 1994, when Fitzroy met Essendon at Princes Park.
Lyon was 27, playing his 111th match for the Lions. Fletcher was playing his 19th, just shy of his 19th birthday, and was already a premiership player with the Bombers.
Fitzroy beat Essendon that day by 13 points.
"Can you believe it? He's pretty special," Lyon said of Fletcher.
"Obviously genetically he's quite gifted and he works really hard at it, so it's a wonderful achievement.
"But I think it just shows, everyone wants to label people and write everyone's stories.
"He would have been retired six years ago if convention played a part. It's good to see people buck convention and conservative views."
Oldest players in VFL/AFL history:
43 years, 50 days, Vic Cumberland (St Kilda) 1920
40 years, 2 days*, Dustin Fletcher (Essendon) 2015
39 years, 296 days, Jack Leith (Melbourne) 1912
39 years, 239 days, Syd Barker senior (North Melbourne) 1927
39 years, 181 days, Jim Flynn (Carlton) 1910
* Fletcher's age when Essendon plays Fremantle on Saturday. If he misses the clash but plays against North Melbourne in round seven, he will be 40 years and eight days.
Most VFL/AFL games played:
426, Michael Tuck (Hawthorn) 1972-91
403, Kevin Bartlett (Richmond) 1965-83
397, Dustin Fletcher (Essendon) 1993-present
389, Brent Harvey (North Melbourne) 1996-present
383, Robert Harvey (St Kilda) 1988-2008
Dustin Fletcher's playing honours:
* Two-time Essendon premiership player (1993, 2000)
* Two-time All-Australian (2000, 2007)
* Won Bombers' best and fairest award in 2000
* Second in best and fairest in 2007 and 2009
* Third in best and fairest in 2006
* Represented Australia in International Rules series in 2005, 2006, 2010, 2014
* Club games record holder
