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Richmond stalwart Shane Edwards will become the AFL club's fifth 300-game player when he runs out against the Brisbane Lions at the MCG on Sunday.
Still humble after playing a key role in three AFL premierships, Shane Edwards admits joining Richmond royalty sits uncomfortably with him.
The versatile Edwards will become just the fifth player in the Tigers' proud history to reach 300 VFL/AFL games.
The 33-year-old will sit alongside Kevin Bartlett (403), teammate Jack Riewoldt (321*), Jack Dyer (311) and Francis Bourke (300) when he runs out in Richmond's crunch clash with the Brisbane Lions on Sunday.
Edwards will also join fellow Indigenous greats Shaun Burgoyne, Adam Goodes, Andrew McLeod, Eddie Betts, Lance Franklin, Michael O'Loughlin and Gavin Wanganeen in the exclusive 300-club.
"It doesn't sound right or sit well with me at the moment," Edwards told reporters on Tuesday.
"They're legends of the game and people I've looked up to for so long."
Edwards is a lauded triple premiership star now, but he had to endure some difficult early years after arriving at Punt Rd from North Adelaide in the 2006 draft.
He didn't play finals until his seventh season, then experienced three-straight heartbreaking losses in elimination finals.
"I always look back on the tough times to make me appreciate the last five years and how hard it is to get there," Edwards said.
"It's really been an incredible climb from where we came from when I got here.
"The club's in a different position, everything looks different, it's pretty mind-blowing how things can change over time.
"From some of those dark times, we got some of our best players like (Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin), so you can't look back too badly on those times."
Meanwhile, Richmond forward Matt Parker is leaving the Tigers to return to Western Australia, citing homesickness.
After being picked up in last year's mid-season draft, Parker played 11 games with the Tigers in his second chance at AFL level.
The 26-year-old played 19 games for St Kilda, but was delisted at the end of 2020.
Parker returned to WA after his axing from the Saints and again caught the eye of AFL clubs with standout performances for South Fremantle.
"I have made some lifelong friends at Richmond and have made many great memories during my time in the yellow and black," he said.
"Now is a time that I must put my family first and return home to Perth with my partner and three children."
Parker's announcement continues a big week for the Tigers after triple premiership hero Kane Lambert on Monday called time on his career due to a debilitating hip injury.
