The enduring and inspiring career of Shaun Burgoyne

Shaun Burgoyne’s AFL career will end this year.

At the weekend Burgoyne became the fifth player in VFL/AFL history to reach 400 games, joining a legendary quartet of Brent Harvey, Michael Tuck, Dustin Fletcher and Kevin Bartlett. More importantly, he became the first Indigenous player to achieve the hard-to-do feat.

Even though the Hawks are in rebuild mode and can probably afford to let him ride off into the sunset on his own wishes, the humble, team-first 38-year-old said he’s unsure what the rest of the year will look like.

What this means is the end is near for Burgoyne and it’s time to look at some of the things he’s accomplished in the AFL that will ultimately become his legacy.

When you think about it Burgoyne – or ‘Silky’ as he was referred to by just about everyone in the league for his precision boot – has become a household name over a 21-year period for attacking flair and his defensive chops.

He was someone who had the bag of tricks that could do it all – a goal kicker, a premiership defender, an All Australian midfielder and when it called for it he morphed into a tagger.

It’s not until you actually sit down and study the numbers, the success, the inspiring moments, that the magnitude of what he’s accomplished hits you.

(Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Let’s start here.

He won four flags – including a three-peat. He played in six grand finals, 36 finals, and had 260 wins as a player (only Michael Tuck has more).

In 2004 Burgoyne won his first premiership with Port Adelaide, defeating the rampant Lions, who were chasing a fourth flag in as many years. Burgoyne told Channel Seven he remembers the challenge leading up to that final, which made the win that much sweeter.

“The years before that were so tough when we didn’t even get a chance to make a grand final,” he said. “We’d won a lot more games than we’d lost and we just couldn’t get there.”

Die-hard Power fans will remember Burgoyne’s desperate dive-smother on St Kilda’s Brent Guerra who was in the act of kicking for goal 15 metres out with 1:25 remaining in the preliminary final. The Power held on and won by a goal.

“He was the reason we got to the grand final,” Mark Williams said.

Throughout his journey Burgoyne became an Indigenous icon of the game. He surpassed Adam Goodes as the leading games holder for Indigenous players.

But you only need to watch and listen to the AFL’s Indigenous community to understand his impact. Last week before his 400th game a video captured heartfelt messages from Indigenous players across the league explaining how Burgoyne shaped their careers.

(Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

“To play AFL footy you know you’re going to be a role model for a lot of Indigenous kids throughout Australia whether you play one game or ten,” Burgoyne told media.

“I hope maybe that (playing 400 games) can spark some kids’ little dreams to hopefully follow in the footsteps.”

Emerging small forward from Greater Western Sydney, Bobby Hill, said: “Thanks for being a role model for young Indigenous kids like myself.”

Port Adelaide’s Karl Amon was roused by the 400-game achievement: “It’s an inspiration not only for me but for all the Indigenous boys,” he said.

Former Hawthorn teammate Chance Bateman said: “I’m really proud of you for what you’ve been able to do off the field as well. You’re a really strong Aboriginal man and leader when it comes to advocating Aboriginal people and Aboriginal players.”

St Kilda half back and former Hawk Brad Hill still remembers when he chaired Burgoyne off the ground after his 300th game. He saw Burgoyne as an idol that helped him grow as a player and a person and said he was a “great role model for all of us.”

(Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)

In 400 games Burgoyne only ever had two coaches – Mark Williams and Alastair Clarkson. It’s remarkable to think about. It says a lot about the teams he played for and how they operated but also it recognises Burgoyne’s loyalty and commitment.

If you have ever heard either Williams or Clarkson speak about Burgoyne, they get a bit choked up in the player he’s become because of the rare set of skills he developed that made him blossom into a champion of the game.

They’ll say that he had just about every attribute a star player has: precision decision-making, deftness in traffic, exceptional skills, toughness through the hips and the ability to step up and kick a goal when the team begged for it.

What was also part of Burgoyne’s craft is that he didn’t shy away from the dirty things and embraced diving tackles, tap-ons, shut-down roles and protecting teammates off the ball.

When he arrived at Hawthorn, Burgoyne was mid-career, at the pinnacle of his game, with question marks over his wobbly knee. There was a sniff of uncertainty around Burgoyne’s future. Initially Clarkson saw him as a three-year proposition.

But through careful injury management and the smarts of Clarkson, who redefined him as a skillful utility that could play any position, Burgoyne was able to play a lot of footy where he didn’t have to be the hype player in a team that boasted Lance Franklin, Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell.

(Photo: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

To understand Burgoyne’s brilliance, look no further than the 2013 preliminary final against Geelong. The Hawks were facing a 20-point deficit at three-quarter time.

Clarkson shifted Burgoyne into the midfield and he, along with Sam Mitchell, changed momentum in the final quarter and launched Hawthorn into the grand final. That day he kicked three goals, had 24 touches, seven marks and ten score involvements. It was a back-against-the-wall performance from a leader and influencer.

“When there’s a crisis, that’s when you usually find that Shaun Burgoyne’s at his very best,” Clarkson said in 2016 ahead of his 300th game. “The most remarkable thing about him is he steps up when we need him the most.”

Clarkson’s words speak volumes about Burgoyne’s legacy: a kid from Port Lincoln who worked tirelessly to overcome injury in the middle of his career to become a class act, a selfless Indigenous icon, a legend of the game and a much loved player at two AFL clubs spanning two decades.

The significance of Burgoyne won’t be felt until after his retirement when at that point he’ll be ready for his next challenge in life.

Although Burgoyne didn’t get his fairytale win against Port Adelaide on Saturday night, when he looks back on all of this – the premierships, the wins, being an icon for many, the 400 games – he’ll still think of himself as Shaun from Port Lincoln: just a guy that wanted to play footy. And that’s just the way he likes it.