Right: Terry King plays his 300th game for the Lyndale Pumas this Saturday.By Glen Atwell
SET to play his 300th game of football this weekend, Terry is still king of the hill at the Lyndale Pumas Football Club.
Terry King will reach the milestone this Saturday when his beloved Pumas take on St Kilda City at Barry J. Powell Reserve.
King began his senior career in 1987 – the Pumas’ first year of senior football.
He said his early playing days in the South East Suburban Football League were tough.
“It was hard. We were much like the Parkmore Pirates in (Southern Football League) Division Three today,” he said.
“We copped our fair share of floggings.”
The 41yearold is the only active player remaining from the 1987 senior squad.
“In the early years we thought we had a decent side, but we didn’t,” King laughed.
King’s first premiership flag came in 1995 and remains one of his cherished memories.
“The first one was great, it was very rewarding,” he said.
He also played in the 1997 senior premiership, then the 2000 reserves premiership.
King knew he had played a couple of hundred games in him, but didn’t know he would reach the 300 milestone so quickly.
“I didn’t really take much notice. It has crept up,” he said. “The last few years have been hard with injuries.”
But King quickly added that after 18 years of football, he has been lucky with his body.
“I suffered a broken collarbone, a dislocated shoulder and had a few broken fingers,” he said.
“I’ve been lucky.”
King, a former club president, has no ideas about retirement, opting to simply “wait and see”.
“I’ll see how I go, make sure the boys finish the season off strongly, then I’ll reassess,” he said.
King said despite the Pumas only winning five games so far this season, the club was coming down from a long period of success.
“It’s our turn to rebuild now,” he said.
“There are peaks and troughs at every club.
“We have a young list and some exciting players coming through.”
King hopes the club will avoid relegation this season and remain in Division Two of the Southern Football League.
“We just have to stick at it and keep battling away,” he said.
After 18 years and 299 games, King is certain of his most memorable moment.
“Playing with my son, Justin, in the senior side,” he said.
Justin, 20, is a forward, and King said he has some great skills.
“He’s probably got more skill than me, but I wouldn’t let him know that,” he laughed.
