Three senior clubs, 50 years and some 600 games later, Malcolm Sargent is calling time on his remarkable career with one last appearance for Lexton on Saturday.
He will run out for his beloved Tigers alongside his son Josh, adding another highlight in his time spent in senior football at Lexton, Gordon and Ballarat, with juniors at North Ballarat from 1972.
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Sargent first played at Gordon in 1982, before being recruited by Ballarat in 1988 where he featured in the Swans' premiership against his former junior side in North Ballarat by 22 points.
He then returned to the Eagles in 1990 before joining Lexton in 1997, back when the idea of retirement first crossed his mind.
"Believe it or not I was planning on retiring at the end of 1996 with Gordon because I thought I had had enough then," Sargent said.
"A couple of blokes came and saw me after cricket season and said I may as well come out to Lexton and I have been out there ever since."
Six senior best-and-fairest awards, for Gordon, Lexton and the league, are highlights for Sargent along with lining up with his son Josh.
"One of the highlights over the last couple of years was playing with my son for his first senior game at Lexton," Sargent said.
"The coach has given him permission to come back down to reserves this weekend to play with me for the last one so that will be really special."
It will be a strange feeling for Sargent when the final siren sounds against Campbells Creek on Saturday, but the veteran is ready to focus his attention towards his son's football.
"Obviously I am going to miss it. It will be different," Sargent said.
"It has been every winter Saturday for a long time, it is all I have known. I have played with so many different people and it truly has been great."
With three rounds remaining in the season, Sargent will take a back seat for the final two rounds as his ninth-placed Tigers hope to sneak into finals.
