Veteran full-back Luke Chapman will play his 228^th and final match for the Alpine Saints against Wangaratta in front of his home supporters at the McNamara Reserve.

“I’m going to hang them up,” Chapman said.

“I’m not planning on playing again but there’s no doubt I’ll get a call at some stage. 

“Next year we’ll have Riley O’Shea full-time and hopefully the Sharps full-time, so it’s a good time to go out.

“At the start of the year I thought I just wanted to finish on my own terms, I didn’t want to go out injured.”

Chapman, who turns 35 in September, will do exactly that, although he had a reconstruction on his left shoulder last year, while his right shoulder “popped out” halfway through this season.

Chapman was pigeon-holed as a backman in the under-18s before making his debut at Lavington in 1999 under Ian Wales.

He missed the 2005 grand final with a knee injury, but played in the 2006 grand final loss to Yarrawonga.

Chapman rates ending the 62-match losing streak in 2011 – the longest drought in O and M history – as one of his best playing memories.

“That was like a grand final win, there’s no doubt about that,” he said.

“Just the relief.

“We just thought it was never going to happen because 62 games is a lot.

“At that time we had some of the best times, social wise, but never thought about leaving.

“We couldn’t really, we had to stay and help out.”

Chapman rates Chad Rigoni as his best ever teammate, with Brad Murray, Andy Carey and Kristan Height not too far behind.

He said his hardest opponent was Albury legend Matt Fowler, while he’d like to be remembered as a loyal and hard-working team player.

“I’m not blessed with skills, but I tried my heart out,” he said. 

Amazingly, Chapman has never kicked a senior goal.