That finishing point might not be too far away either, with the 33-year old admitting ahead of Sunday’s grudge match with Carlton that he won’t be going on to chase the 300 games mark.
However, Burns says he’s honoured to become the 11th Magpie to reach the milestone, even if it’s something he never contemplated when he joined the club from South Australian side Norwood in late 1994.
“When you get drafted, like all the boys, you just want to play a game, and when you get settled you want to try and play 100 games and get your name on the locker,” Burns told a media conference at the Lexus Centre on Thursday afternoon.
“So to be going this long and make it to 250 games confirms you’ve probably done the right thing and probably got the best out of yourself over such a long period.”
“It is humbling .... it is fantastic, and it will be something that I’ll look back upon at the end of my career, but I guess in the present, regardless of it being 250 and regardless of it being Carlton, we want to get the four points and get to 3-1 after Sunday.”
Burns says his most memorable moment from his time in the game came in his first match, when he was playing, ironically, against Carlton.
“You always remember your first game. It was against Carlton and I was up against some bloke named Bradley and then after five minutes got moved to some bloke named Ratten, so it was a good initiation,” Burns recalled with a smile.
“(That was) in front 85-90,000 and in round four there was the Anzac Day draw, so I guess my initiation into footy is probably what I remember most.”
“Also the three preliminary finals we’ve played in here, and the support we’ve had from Collingwood people who actually came to the ground, they were the most vocal crowd I’ve ever played in front of.”
The newly-appointed skipper admits he’d like to be remembered not as a flashy or brilliant player, but as one who gave his all for the black and white cause.
“I guess in some ways, hopefully, to stay this long in the industry is pretty tough and (the supporters) might see that I’ve worked really hard and they might respect that.”
One man who definitely holds such a respect for Burns is his first captain at AFL level and now the club’s VFL coach, Gavin Brown.
“My early impressions of playing alongside Scott were exactly the character of the man and exactly what he shows in his footy,” Brown said.
“He’s obviously a better player now than his first year at the club but he just seemed to have instant respect from almost his first couple of games with the way he attacked the footy.”
Brown said Burns had grown to take enormous pride in the club and that he continued to set an excellent example for players coming through.
“I think the important thing too with Scott is just his genuine love for the footy club ... I honestly think 'Burnsy' has a sincere love and passion for the footy club and I was really excited when he was named captain because I think he’s got the club’s interests at heart and he just gives his all,” he said.
“He’s just a fantastic character to have around the place and a great strength for the young kids.”
“He’s got an old head on his shoulders, he says the right things, does the right things and leads by example.”
Club president Eddie McGuire said Burns epitomised what a role model – and a Collingwood captain – should be all about.
“Scott’s contribution to the football club puts him at the very highest level,” McGuire said.
“There’s no doubt in our minds at Collingwood that it’s OK being a match winner and a star, but you have to do it year in, year out, and that’s the distinction between the champions.”
“In the hard games, you always see Scott Burns there, number 17, the last one to get up with the ball ... he’s one bloke you don’t have to worry about putting in every week.”
