Corowa-Rutherglen veteran Kade Kuschert will enter a third decade of senior O and M football next year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The 36-year-old is also on target to break the Roos' games record, but he says it's the 'fun factor' more than the milestone which is driving him.
"It gives you an outlet I suppose, you have all the dramas throughout the week with work and everything else and you get to footy and have two to two and a half hours where nothing else matters, except chasing that footy around," he said.
"Right through footy, you use it as a release mechanism, your mind shuts off and you're only focusing on one thing and that's finding the footy."
The key position defender made his debut in 2000, but wasn't part of the senior premiership team, rather featuring in the under 18 flag.
He soon became a permanent member though and has now racked up 321 games.
League Hall of Famers Dennis Sandral and Darrell Spencer boast 333.
"Obviously it's a great incentive to get that achievement, to sit alongside the likes of 'Dasher' (Spencer) and Dennis Sandral, they're not just legends of the club, but the league itself," he said.
"The old man (Trevor) holds the record out at Burraja, with something like 440 games, so to hold a record as well, it would be quite humbling."
Trevor Kuschert passed away on Boxing Day, 2018. He was 61.
"I got to play with dad at senior level (at Burraja) and then my next brother Luke also got to play with dad," Kade said proudly of the unique family record.
With the season called off due to COVID-19 concerns, Kuschert will look to build on a solid 2019 where he featured in the best in six of the 18 games.
"I think I could have probably put a little more effort in, I think pre-seasons probably fall away a little bit as you get older and have different commitments take over but, in saying that, I thought I held my position pretty well," he said.
"As long as I'm doing my part, if I ever feel like I'm not playing my role or holding up my end of the bargain, that will be the time I say, 'enough's enough'."
Kuschert will have another coach next year following confirmation Marc Almond will step down.
IN OTHER NEWS:
"Marc tried to expose the younger players as much as he could and give them as much experience as possible," he said.
"You stick the younger players in with a bit of experience and see how they travel, if they're not coping as well, that is where a few more experienced players might jump back across if they're needed."
