THREE players are set to join the famed 300 club in 2023 while major milestones loom for the likes of Lance Franklin and Alastair Clarkson this year.
The retirements of David Mundy (376 games), Joel Selwood (355) and Shane Edwards (303) in 2022 means there are just seven current players in the 300 club, but another three are on track to join them this year.
MOCK TEAMS Who's in your club's best 22 for round one?
With the season opener just days away we take a closer look at the impending player and coach milestones to watch for this season.
Note: With the addition of Gather Round extending the season to 23 games per club, the maximum number of games a player can play this year is 27 (23 home-and-away plus four finals).
350 games
One of the most exclusive groups in VFL/AFL history could welcome four new members this year, with Sydney's Lance Franklin just nine games away from becoming the 22nd man to play 350 games, and he could reach the milestone in round nine against Fremantle at the SCG.
After his memorable 1000th career goal last year, Franklin is also set to move to fourth on the all-time leading goal-kickers list this year; he's currently on 1047, just shy of the great Doug Wade on 1057, but a long way behind Jason Dunstall (1254) in third spot.
Travis Boak, Tom Hawkins (both 327 games) and Jack Riewoldt (326) could also reach the 350 mark this year, although they would need to stay largely injury free to do it. Hawkins appeared likely to fall short this season due to recent foot surgery but the big Cat - who has played 71 consecutive games - remains bullish of being fit for the opening round of the season. Riewoldt would need to play a full home-and-away season plus a final to reach the landmark this year, while the reliable Boak – who has remarkably missed just six games in the past 10 seasons – could well play game 350 late in the season.
Players within reach of 350 career games: Lance Franklin (341), Travis Boak (327), Tom Hawkins (327), Jack Riewoldt (326)
300 games
Three one-club legends are poised to play their 300th games this season, starting with North Melbourne's Todd Goldstein (currently 295 games), who could reach the milestone against Brisbane in Gather Round in Adelaide. The reliable ruckman would become just the sixth Kangaroo to the mark, joining Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Glenn Archer, Wayne Schimmelbusch and Adam Simpson.
Collingwood's Steele Sidebottom (289) and Richmond's Trent Cotchin (287) should also play game 300 this year if they stay fit; Sidebottom's milestone match could come in round 11 against North, while Cotchin's 300th could be two weeks later against Fremantle in Perth.
Sidebottom would become just the fourth Magpie behind Scott Pendlebury, Tony Shaw and Gordon Coventry to the mark, while Cotchin would be the sixth Richmond player after Kevin Bartlett, Jack Riewoldt, Jack Dyer, Shane Edwards and Francis Bourke.
Should he get there first, Goldstein will also have the honour of being the 100th man to the 300-game milestone.
Players within reach of 300 career games: Todd Goldstein (295), Steele Sidebottom (289), Trent Cotchin (287)
250 games
A trio of Crows and a pair of Cats are among 10 players who could play their 250th games in 2023.
Closest to the milestone are West Coast's Luke Shuey and Adelaide's Taylor Walker, who could both get there in round 12 if they don't miss any games to start the season.
Rory Sloane (233 games), Brandon Ellis (231), Dayne Zorko (230) and Cam Guthrie (230) are all within 20 games of the milestone, while Ben Cunnington (229), Mark Blicavs (227), Brodie Smith (225) and Jack Gunston (225) will need to stay fit for the majority of the season in order to reach the mark in 2023.
Players within reach of 250 career games: Luke Shuey (238), Taylor Walker (238), Rory Sloane (233), Brandon Ellis (231), Dayne Zorko (230), Cameron Guthrie (230), Ben Cunnington (229), Mark Blicavs (227), Brodie Smith (225), Jack Gunston (225)
200 games
This Sunday is set to be a day of celebration for Dylan Shiel, who is poised to play game 200 in Essendon's season opener against Hawthorn at the MCG.
Shiel is one of 31 players who could reach 200 games this season, with 10 players on track to achieve the milestone within the opening 10 rounds.
Bulldogs duo Tom Liberatore (195) and Marcus Bontempelli (193) should get there within a fortnight of each other, while Richmond could have celebrations for Dion Prestia (192) and Nick Vlastuin (190) in the space of a couple of weeks, while Robbie Tarrant (194) could also get there if he shrugs off a hip injury that has ruled him out of the start of the season.
Players within reach of 200 career games: Dylan Shiel (199), David Swallow (197), Tom Liberatore (195), Robbie Tarrant (194), Marcus Bontempelli (193), Steven May (193), Phil Davis (192), Dion Prestia (192), Toby Greene (191), Nick Vlastuin (190), Charlie Dixon (189), Michael Hibberd (185), Lachie Whitfield (185), Zach Merrett (184), Taylor Adams (183), Nick Haynes (183), Rhys Stanley (183), Elliott Yeo (182), Max Gawn (181), Will Hoskin-Elliott (181), Jarryd Lyons (181), Sam Reid (181), Seb Ross (181), Stephen Coniglio (177), Brodie Grundy (177), Gary Rohan (177), Charlie Cameron (176), Jason Johannisen (176), Josh Kelly (176), Levi Casboult (175), Lachie Hunter (173)
Pendlebury watch
There will also be plenty of eyes on Scott Pendlebury this year as he continues his climb up the list of all-time games played. The veteran will start the season on 358 games (14th all time) and, if he stays fit, will be in the top 10 by the end of the year.
A 21-game season from the Magpies great will get him to outright seventh spot behind Robert Harvey (383) and see him pass Simon Madden (378), David Mundy (376), Craig Bradley (375), Adam Goodes (372), Bernie Quinlan (366), Brad Johnson (364) and John Blakey (358).
If he gets that far and decides to play on in 2024, 400 will be within reach.
Coaches
Back in the coaching game after a season on the sidelines, Alastair Clarkson is set for a special milestone in round 10, which will be his 400th game as a senior coach. The four-time premiership coach will be the 13th man to the milestone and the first to coach 400 games in the 21st century.
Damien Hardwick (297 games), Chris Scott (286) and John Longmire (283) will all break through the 300 barrier this year, an exclusive group that currently includes just 22 coaches. Hardwick and Longmire are already the games record holders at their respective clubs, but Scott has another special milestone in sight, that being the Geelong coaching record of 304 games currently held by the great Reg Hickey.
At the Bulldogs, Luke Beveridge is 17 games away from the 200 milestone and, having signed a new two-year deal late last year, should overtake Ted Whitten (228 games) next year as the longest-serving coach in club history.