Image: Corio ruck Mark Stewart will play his 600th game this weekend. (SJV Photography)
Veteran Corio ruckman Mark Stewart is about to strap on his boots for the 600th time, when Corio plays Belmont at Shell Reserve on Saturday, and he’s not about to retire yet.
At an age when most people would think they were past playing footy, Stewart said as long as his body is willing he will keep playing.
The 50-year-old teacher said he began playing for the Corio Devils in the under-16s in the 1990s, before moving to a number of teams over the past 4 decades, including a stint in Adelaide.
A legend in local football, Stewart won a Mathieson Medal in the GFL in 1998, while playing for St Albans, and has played for Vic Country at national level.
More than 500 of his career games have been with senior sides and he said even he was surprised to learn he was coming up to number 600.
“Since I was 19 I haven’t missed a year of footy, apart from the COVID years when nobody played,” Stewart saod.
“Someone asked me how many games I’d played and I had a look and saw it was 600 (coming up),” he said.
“When I think about it, it’s pretty massive.”
He also said he has been very lucky to have been injury-free for almost his whole career and is not about to hang up his boots yet.
“You talk to other people and they retire early through injury, and that kind of stuff, but I’ve been pretty lucky with my injuries.
“There’s two games I’ve lost with injury since I started, so I’ve been lucky with my body and the way it’s been going.
“If the body allows me to, I’ll continue playing.
“I did say I was going to retire at 40, and I kept on playing, and then at 45, and 50, so I’ll see how it’s going and make a decision then.”
Corio has only won one flag, in 1995, and spent the years 2017 to 2019 at the bottom of the ladder.
Stewart returned to Corio in 2021 as part of the club’s rebuilding effort, and feels the team is beginning to regain some form following a few years in the doldrums.
“They’ve got a good list and hopefully they continue to play the football they’re playing and win some more games.”
Corio is currently ninth on the GDFL ladder, with three wins, just above Belmont with two.
Stewart said he is confident the Devils have what it takes against the Lions this Saturday, and is hoping for a good celebration for his milestone game.
Twitter: @krockfootball
