SIXTEEN years after first strapping on the boots for Vic Park, James Buchanan will become the Vultures’ first 300 game player when he takes to the park on Sunday afternoon.
Known as Jabba around the club, Buchanan currently plays for Vic Park Blue in the division two competition. In 2007 Buchanan led the club to the Ballarat District Soccer Association division one open flag.
Buchanan said he was encouraged to join the club by friends following school, and had stayed ever since.
“We played school soccer and then we were looking for a club, they came here and I followed suit,” Buchanan said. “A lot of my mates I’ve made have come from this club, more so than anywhere else.
Buchanan’s Vic Park Blue side will be looking to register their first win for the season when they come up against another winless outfit in North United this weekend. Buchanan said while the outfit still went out looking for success, they were more relaxed about the result in their older age.
I play more for the social side of things now than trying to win a game,” Buchanan said. “We were very competitive...but I don’t like playing for sheep stations these days.”
While the 35-year-old labourer was not sure how much longer he had left in him, he conceded that he had been unable to give it up so far.
“Every year I question whether I’ll play again but every year I keep coming back.”
