ANDREW Blackie admits it's getting "harder and harder" but the Easts back-rower's competitive spirit remains as strong as ever.
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Blackie, 46, will run out for his 450th game when Easts host Cessnock at Dangar Park on Saturday. Incredibly, he is not the most experienced player at the club.
"I'm not the oldest," he said. "One of the guys turned 50 the other week. Peter Hope played his 500th game last season. I've still got the competitive streak in me but I won't make it that far. I've told coach Steve Tsoprow that this is my last season."
Blackie has already come out of retirement four times.
"It is getting harder and harder but I still enjoy playing," he said. "It helps relieve some of the stress you have built up inside."
The father of four has played the majority of his career at Medowie, before "moving to town" and joining Griffins. He had one season there before being talked back into playing by workmate and Easts legend Ian Hore. Not that he took much persuading.
"I saw his name in the program and said 'I see you are back playing'," Blackie said. "He told me I better join him. This is my fourth season".
Blackie records his games in "a little diary".
"I played me 400th at Easts and we won that," he said. "I lost me 300th, lost me 200th and lost me 100th. I remember all the milestone games."
His marathon stretch has yielded three premierships with Medowie. Since arriving at Easts he has played in a losing grand final and would love nothing more than to go out with a premiership.