Even with a second hip replacement booked in for later this month, Napoleons-Sebastopol and Ballarat Cricket Association legend Geoff Martin is not quite ready to declare his innings closed just yet.
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But he is fully aware that the next time he walks out to bat for Naps-Sebas, in what will be his 500th game for the club, it could very well be for the last time.
Martin was due to play his 500th this weekend with the Naps-Sebas fourths up against Brown Hill, however due to the week of wet weather, all fourths matches have been called off for the round.
It means the 56-year-old will have to wait one more week to register his 500th match with the club. Hopefully, that will come next weekend against Coronet, at this stage scheduled to be played at Burrumbeet.
The significance of the upcoming milestone is not lost on Martin, who has more than 14,000 runs to his credit, a club record.
"I don't think anyone else has quite got to 500 games," he said. "Over the years from all clubs there's been a lot of great cricketers play a lot of games, so the significance of 500 to me is pretty special."
Throughout his career, which started in 1978-79, Martin has scored a club record 14,421 runs, with a highest score of 167no. He has a club record 20 centuries, 75 50s, 208 catches and 26 stumpings.
While he spent many years as a wicketkeeper, he has even taken 186 wickets with a best haul of 7-80, ironically at Burrumbeet where he could reach his milestone.
Martin has also been a multiple premiership winner and was also the Bernie Davey Medalist in 1989-90 for the best and fairest in B Grade. He is also a member of Naps-Sebas hall of fame.
Martin said he couldn't be more pleased to be able to bring up his 500th game with the club that has given him so much over so many years.
He couldn't be more pleased to be able to bring up his 500th game with the club he loves.
"I've got a lot of great mates from it," he said. "I started in the under-12, when we were in the minor grades, I had a couple of games at Sebas on permit and a couple of game at North Ballarat on permit, then I went to Golden Point for a year, but I always wanted to come back.
"There was a man at the club, Geoff McManus, he's no longer with us unfortunately, but he was like a father figure to me growing up as a kid.
"It's meant my loyalty has always been to the club. Anyone who has played at the club for a while will appreciate everything Geoff did for the club."
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He said cricket had always been his sport, having not played football. Although he did play a bit of basketball when he was younger, but his lack of height ended his longevity in that sport.
He said he had spent many hours away from family training twice a week as well as playing on the weekend and thanked his wife Lyn for the support she had shown him over the years, allowing him to follow his passion.
Naps-Sebas vice president John Bray described Martin as the "fabric of the club".
"I don't recall him ever missing a game through injury in the time I've played," he said. "His durability has been unbelievable, he's already had the one hip replacement and that couldn't slow him down.
"As a club man, he's on our board, he's been a part of that as long as I can remember. As far as club legends go, he's right up there.
"He's by far the best player I've played with out there. Back in the early days, he was the best batsmen I've played with by a mile, he's played 531 innings and still averages over 30. He's always there, he's the fabric of the club.
