Bundoora’s Anthony White decided he was going to stop playing cricket just after he played his 300th game for Bundoora, nine years ago.
Encouraged to keep playing so he could play with his then eight-year-old son down the track, White is still playing.
On Saturday, he became the first person to play 400 games for the Bulls with his son walking outside beside him.
White, who is known as Georgie, said it was a special day.
“It was great, I had a few old friends come down and watch,” he said. “One of my friends had t-shirts made up with my face on it.
“It was good fun.”
White started playing at Bundoora when he was 10. He said his first ever ball missed the pitch.
White’s first senior game was when he was 14.
He made the move to another club in his late teens early 20s, before returning to the Bulls and he has been there ever since.
White sits second for wickets all time at the club and is a four-time Bill Deacon Medallist and a seven time premiership player a the club.
White said he never thought of playing 400 games.
“I got to 300 nearly nine years ago,” he said. “I thought I was just about done playing.
“My dad used to come down and watch most weeks since I was a junior. He died about two weeks after I played 300th.
“I decided that at the end of the season I was retiring as I’d had enough. My wife said, “don’t you want to keep going to play with your son?”
The pair have played together the past four to five years, while White’s son-in-law is also in the second XI this season alongside the pair.
On Saturday, Anthony and Jack White opened the batting. Anthony made 58, while Jack got a duck in the Bulls win.
White has been secretary and president at the club for about 10 years each during the past 25 years.
He said the club was pretty special to him. He said the A-grade premiership was his favourite memory.
Plenty of love was shone for White on the Bulls social media.
President Stuart Adams said White was not only a champion player, but a champion person and his contributions go beyond the field.
As for the future?
“I’ve got six games to go and hopefully a premiership,” he said on social media before the match.
