Yesterday in Atlanta, New England Patriot Tom Brady further stamped himself as American football’s greatest player.
At 41 years and 184 days he became the oldest quarterback in history to win a Super Bowl championship ring, the first to play in nine Super Bowls, and the first to win six.
That’s on top of four Super Bowl MVP awards, another record, and three NFL MVP awards.
There are many other career individual records as long as your arm, sufficient to say he’s one helluva footballer who is likely to go around next season as well for his 21st season with the Patriots.
(Jeffrey Beall / CC BY-SA 3.0)
So are there any Australian footballers in that Brady age bracket-longevity category?
Rugby league has Billy Wilson, rugby Tony Miller, soccer Mark Schwarzer, and the VFL/AFL’s Dustin Fletcher to give Brady a run for his money.
Champion Socceroos goal-keeper Schwarzer called halt to his stellar career of a record 109 international caps, at 40 years and 336 days.
That’s just pipping Tim Cahill’s 108 caps who played his last international at 38 years and 349 days, as the Socceroos top goal-scorer on 50.
Schwarzer’s career outside of internationals covered 625 games from 1990 to 2016, while Cahill’s 599 were between 1998 and 2018 – both long stints.
Billy Wilson was a rugby league prop who had three different contracts with the St George Dragons totally 171 games, but seven of those years were as an integral member of the club’s record 11 successive premierships.
He finished his club career with the North Sydney Bears over five seasons from 1963 to 1967 for 85 games, but his claim to fame was becoming the Kangaroos oldest captain at 36 years and 23 days against the Kiwis in 1963 when Arthur Summons was injured.
He played on for the Bears for four more seasons, and that made Billy Wilson 40 when he called it a day.
The end result was even older with rugby’s Tony Miller, who played every position in the Wallaby pack, bar hooker, among the 41 caps between 1952 when he debuted against Fiji, and his last in 1967 against the All Blacks, during his then record 41 caps.
‘Slaggy’ retired from international rugby at 38 years and 113 days – which is still the oldest Wallaby record, and not likely to be broken.
But he was still going strong for Manly in the Shute Shield when he was 46.
There was one memorable interview I had with him in the mid-70s after a club semi-final against Eastern Suburbs at TG Millner Field.
He was up against a mighty strong young prop Steve Finnane for the first time who was half his age, and not backward in proving his physical point on the paddock.
I walked into the Manly shed after the game, and there was ‘Slaggy’ sitting in the corner with deep bruises all over his chest and back, two black eyes, and a puffy face – exclusively Finnane’s handiwork.
“How did you find Finnane, Slaggy?” I asked him.
“Shows promise,” was his reply through swollen lips.
That was Tony Miller to a tee, one of the all-time great rugby men.
I’ve left the VFL/AFL until last as there are two ways of selecting their contender.
Technically, Vic Cumberland is the oldest to play VFL at 43 with St Kilda, but he was a bit of a nomad club-wise.
He played just 126 games for the club in 1903, 1904, 1907, and 1908 before rejoining in 1912 to 1915 when he enlisted to fight in World War 1 in France, returning to Australia in 1919, and playing one more season with the Saints in 1920.
Essendon’s Dustin Fletcher was more consistent in his 400 games between 1993 and 2015, chalking up 400 games, and playing his last at 40.
Every one of those mentioned deserve the highest praise for not only lasting so long, but still mixing it with the best, despite their ages.
That’s reserved for the elite.
mushi
Roar Guru
Unless you're Tommylee Lewis
mushi
Roar Guru
Not really DL. The worst team had about 9 QB hits allowed a game and the pats less than 5. and they aren’t these “very late” tackles you’re characterising them as. The rules on hitting a QB are stringent. Even marginally late tackles are now banned, as is placing your weight on the QB, or hitting the QB to low. The Dalai Lama delivers more physcial abuse to his PA than an NFL pass rusher is allowed to inflict on a QB. Also the QB is completely off limtis in practice. Many positions probably are invovled in more violent collisions in a single training session that Brady would have soft hits in a season.
Sheikh
Roar Rookie
A little harsh to compare Blanda to Brady simply based on number of Super bowls he played in. Blanda was already 39 by the time of Super Bowl I. In fact, i think he played in 2 championship games ('56, when the Bears lost to the Giants, and Super Bowl 2 in '68 when the Packers beat the Raiders).
SAVAGE
Guest
"So are there any Australian footballers in that Brady age bracket-longevity category?" He won't be the only one, QBs are the most protected players in the NFL, followed closely by wide receivers.
Ojp
Guest
No international American Football eh ? Dont tell the Australian Outback lads that!
Tony H
Roar Pro
You mean.. You like Tom Brady, and anyone who disagrees with you is wrong, even though you're logic for arguing against is inconsistent. Fair enough... now I'll get off your lawn.
David Lord
Expert
You just refuse to get the message TonyH, Tom Brady is playing as high as he can go, with no international American football.
AR
Guest
Fletcher and KB don’t come close. The article is not just about longevity (and Tuck played more games anyway, as well as 100+ Reserve games), it’s about sustained success. On that score, no-one holds a candle to Tuck and the mighty Hawthorn of the 1980s. The Hawks played in 8 Grand Finals in 9 years from 1983 - 1991. Hawthorn are the only club to have won a Premiership in every decade since the war. It’s really no contest.
RandyM
Guest
Cameron Smith will be 36 this year and doesn't look like stopping anytime soon... 384 first grade games 42 games for QLD 56 games for Australia Has played in 8 grand finals I think he could play up until he is 40 if he really wanted to.. but he will probably retire at the end of 2019 if not 2020.
Tony H
Roar Pro
Neither are the Pats. By your logic, Brady isn't eligible as he's never played an international.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Well there would be , proper footballers as opposed to AFL, rugby union and rugby league players. Schwarzer was around for eternity and finished in the EPL well in his forties he must have been 42-43. Even goal keeping is a lot more physically taxing than being a quarterback in the NFL. Brady is not even anywhere near the oldest in the NFL but that happens with quarterbacks. The other positions that you last a lot in the NFL is the punter and place kicker. NFL if your a running back then good luck on lasting, usually they are finished quite early.
David Lord
Expert
TonyH, let's just stick to the facts, Tom Brady isn't a dual international, and Leicester-Qld Country aren't internationals.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
?!? James H nailed it?! James H said "The article is about longevity in elite football codes, not success".. then quoted you – “So are there any Australian footballers in that Brady age bracket-longevity category?” But you said to steve; "steve, you miss the point too, the column is about age, longevity, and success." So which is it?!
Tony H
Roar Pro
So, he played for the Kangaroos, but he's a Kiwi. Would you disqualify Tom Brady if he was a dual national? Also, Thorn played at 40 for Leicester and 41 for Qld Country. I think he qualifies.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
No it's not. Read what you wrote and the title again. It is about longevity. You haven't rattled off the greatest rugby, football, AFL and league players ever, just guys who did pretty well but played till they were old. And as I said, in one case you are comparing Shute Shield with playing in Superbowls….. Cliff Lyons played for Australia, then played local footy until he was 100, and you wouldn't put him on this list.
JamesH
Roar Guru
There are still less of them though than there are physical contests for an average player in an AFL (or other code) game - be they tackles, bumps, shepherds or marking contests. QBs also have padding and don't have to rapidly change direction while sprinting. It's no wonder Americans look at rugby, AFL and League and think we're crazy. I'm not suggesting there's no stress on a QB's body (that would be silly) but it's not quite at the same level.
David Lord
Expert
liquorbox, Charles Haley was 32, well short of Tom Brady’s 41, when he played in the fifth of his five Super Bowls. Haley’s five from five Super Bowls is also well short of Brady’s six from nine, and Haley’s no Bowl MVPs to Brady’s four is a no-brainer.
David Lord
Expert
JamesH, you have nailed the comparisons right on the button. Can't agree with quarterbacks not copping the same level of impact. Being sacked wouldn't be pleasant, especially as they are generally off-balance at the time, but it's the very late tackles, well after the ball's been delivered, that would be worse, and those are by far the vast majority in every game.
liquorbox_
Roar Rookie
I actually think that Charles Haley's success was more impressive, sure Brady beats him 6 to 5 on superbowl wins but Brady has played through rule changes that now mean looking at the quarterback is a flag for roughing the passer. Hayley had his body on the line as a defensive lineman and had 5 superbowl wins from 13 seasons. Don't get me wrong, Brady is an exceptional athlete that would have succeeded in any sport but I have fond memories of Haley playing in great teams in the 80's and 90's when the game was a lot more physical.
Blake Standfield
Roar Guru
So It's achievement or longevity or both? The NFL example is based on achievement discounting greater longevity but the Australian examples greatest achievements are longevity.