OLD FOOTY players never forget what they need to do when it comes time to pose for photographs.

Pose with arms folded across chest. Tick.

Pose with hands on hips. Tick.

Pose with a smile. Tick.

Pose with game face. Tick.

But it wasn't just any gathering of former players the AFL Record brought together recently for a special photo shoot with one current star.

At first glance, each was still remarkably fit for his respective age and it was easy to picture them still physically from their playing days, apart from some lost or greyed hair and the odd additions of glasses.

This august group had tallied a collective 174 seasons (and counting) of AFL/VFL football and more than 3500 games at the highest level. Every individual a one-club champion.

Six members of the Hall of Fame – one of them as a Legend – two recent retirees who both hold their club games' record and one mighty Kangaroo about to break the biggest individual record in the AFL.

Who better to understand and laud the mighty achievement of Brent Harvey to set an AFL/VFL games record than those who have themselves understood the struggle and the work required to play so well for so long? The other members of the top 10 for games played in history.

Each was only too happy to give his thoughts on the scale of Harvey's career, and to reflect a little on his own place within an exclusive longevity club.

The greats get together to celebrate Brent Harvey's milestone. Picture: AFL Media





Michael Tuck

Hawthorn

426 games 1972-91

"Brent has terrific endurance and he knows where the goals are. Even now, he's still running so well and he has the fitness he needs to still be a great player," was Tuck's assessment of why Harvey the footballer is still a key for the Roos.

"He's always known how to get the ball and how to kick a goal and that's what you have to do to be a great player. He's a great player."

Tuck has held the record since 1990, assuming it from Kevin Bartlett, and says the secret to the handover is about love for the game.

"I loved football, really, really loved it, and Brent must be the same. It has meant a lot to me to hold the record, but I've had my day for 25 years. Holding the record is not something I've wanted to talk about a lot, because you don't go up and tell people you're the record-holder.

"When you're sitting at home by yourself, it's quite a buzz to think you've played more games than anyone else from a game that's been going for more than 100 years, so it's a great effort by Brent."

Tuck credits better playing surfaces and improved training regimes for the reason players can now push on well past 300 games, but luck was still a significant factor for any player.

"It's a complete generation gap to when I played. The good players from then would adapt to now and the good players from now would be able to play in my time, but there is so much now that is just so different.

"I was lucky with injuries and I was playing in a side that played a lot of finals, so I was in the right place for my career."

Tuck will step graciously into the background, but he still has one pretty good record to his name that is unlikely to be broken – his seven flags with Hawthorn stands alone as the most of any player in AFL/VFL history.

"It was pointed out I had one premiership for every day of the week. To play for so long in a successful team was a great thing, so I've done OK."

Kevin Bartlett

Richmond

403 games 1965-83

"I'm thrilled for Brent. All records are made to be broken in my view. I always like to see people play as long as they possibly can, because they love the sport they are playing," Bartlett said.

"I think it's great for virtually all of these players in the top 10 to be one-club players. I think there were times I'm sure in the careers of nearly all the players here, including Brent, where they had a chance to leave their club and maybe go somewhere else.

"When it's all over, and you look back as a one-club man with a significant association with your team, I think that makes your career more special."

Bartlett took the record from John Rantall in 1980 and extended it by more than 60 games, past the magical 400 barrier, until he handed the torch to Tuck.

"When I played my 400th game, people said no one would catch me, but I said there would be others, because if you play a sport where so many compete, others will come along and time will win out over your record," he said.

"The thing that gave me the most satisfaction from my career was the thought that reaching 400 games was possible for other people.

"Before my time, so many people would just get to 300 games and then finish up, maybe beating the old record by one or two games or just getting along to 300 and then deciding to leave the game.

"When I went past the record, suddenly other players could push on to 350 and 400 games and we now have players continuing on well past 300, when that didn't happen."

The 400 club gathers: Dustin Fletcher, Brent Harvey, Michael Tuck and Kevin Bartlett. Picture: AFL Media





Dustin Fletcher

Essendon

400 games 1993-2015

"Brent is amazing," Fletcher said.

"It takes until you've retired I reckon to look back on all the work and all the games to think about how much it took to be able to do it.

"He's still got the pace and he's still kicking goals and I reckon he will keep on going next year.

"I just say well done to him as I had a great run."

Fletcher was blessed with good genes after father Ken played 264 games with the Bombers, and his mental strength as a defender enabled him to put aside goals and lost contests to focus on what needed to be done next.

"I wasn't around the midfield where a lot of hard stuff happened, so that helped me, but 'Boomer' is amazing. That's the best word for him."

Robert Harvey

St Kilda

383 games 1988-2008

Harvey was known as a fanatical trainer in his time, but the dual Brownlow medallist doffs his cap to his namesake.

"I look at him and clearly he looks after himself so well and he doesn't look like he's lost anything at all with his gifts," Harvey said.

"When you've finished up and think about everything you went through at times to play, you wonder why you would do it some times, but he looks like he can keep going and that's such an enormous credit to him."

Harvey also paid tribute to the Roos for remaining in contention to play finals and enabling Harvey to continue with his career.

"Your club needs to be up around the higher part of the ladder and going towards finals, because if you're going into a real development phase, it's hard for those older blokes to stay on and that's a credit to North they've pushed so hard up the ladder for so long," he said.

"A club that is heading downwards will seek to regenerate, but Brent has been playing well in a good team and that's kept him going, and no doubt helped him enjoy it more when you're winning games.

"He's had a great career. For my career, the memories of the actual matches start to fade now, but the friendships remain and that's the best part for me.

"Just last week, about eight of us caught up and had a beer and we talked about the great times, and that's what I've got so much from the footy I played."

AFLRecord this week has the game's longevity greats meeting to pay tribute to the new record holder.#Boomer427 pic.twitter.com/Tfyw5ywwfx — Patrick Keane (@AFL_PKeane) July 28, 2016

Simon Madden

Essendon

378 games 1974-92

Madden thought he would be the last player to reach 350 games, in his vain pursuit of his contemporary and great rival Michael Tuck, but marvels at the preparation of players these days.

"It's fantastic and I'm so pleased for Brent. It's outstanding to see someone last so long," he said.

"I didn't think there'd be another player after me because it had got so hard, but the professionalism and preparation of players and the work of clubs has been able to keep great players going.

"We are seeing elongated careers now, but the absolutely vital thing is to keep your speed. 'Harvs' has kept his speed and the same thing with Dustin for Essendon was that he kept his speed."

Madden believes the outcome-oriented nature of sport is what keeps so many players on the field for as long as they can.

"I can't believe it's 25 years since I played. I think the involvement of just playing is what keeps so many guys going," he said.

"For me, it was about a group of people working towards a common goal. What I liked about football is that we were all in it together and it was easy to see what the goal was.

"Sometimes, in life and work it is not easy to see the goal, but in football it was very easy to see what you wanted to achieve, it was just the challenge of being able to do it."

Craig Bradley

Carlton

375 games 1986-2002

Bradley played nearly 100 games for Port Adelaide in the SANFL before joining Carlton and had already been a triple All Australian in 1983, 1984 and 1985 before his VFL debut with the Blues in 1986.

These days, he still looks as if he could charge up and down the ground at will, with his exquisite disposal, and remembers fondly the young Kangaroo he toured Ireland with in 2000.

"It's a fantastic effort. Brent just must love footy so much," he said.

"I think that's the key thing, if you love getting up every day and training and trying to be better. It's so much easier if you love it so much because he's had to do so much right for so long to be here and well done to him.

"It seems a world ago that I was playing, when it's 14 years ago, but sometimes it just seems like yesterday. We had a great winning tour together to Ireland all those years ago and I'm really pleased for him."

Adam Goodes

Sydney Swans

372 games 1999-2015

Goodes retired at the end of last season with two Brownlow Medals and two flags and has found his entire brilliant career was conducted within Harvey's time at the elite level.

"How do you get to that many games? It's incredible," Goodes said, shaking his head.

"As a professional athlete, you know what someone has to do to get to that level that Brent has reached, and then to stay at that level for 20 years.

"I think about the sacrifices he's had to make, the commitment he's had to make to his craft and to his body and more so to his mind to be able to do that.

"I didn't think anybody could break Tucky's record, but Boomer has shown us he can do it.

"I had an unbelievable time to play the time that I did and Boomer will look back on this with his family and be so proud of what he's done."

Goodes and Harvey were long-time rivals and then teammates with Australia, and the brilliant Swan was happy to let slip some of Harvey's on-field trade secrets.

"We wouldn't play on each other, but I always knew where he was. I liked being opposed to him in a marking contest, but you soon found out he could hurt you really quickly in other areas of the game," he said.

"If you were around him, he'd give you a little pinch or do something to upset you, but that's what you like about those vertically challenged players," he said, at the exact moment Harvey came over to shake his hand.

"Those little guys have certainly got something."

Adam Goodes in his final AFL match last season. Picture: AFL Media





Brad Johnson

Western Bulldogs

364 games 1994-2010

The affable Bulldog great immediately remembers a player who seemed to save his best for contests against the Dogs and, like Bradley, looks back on the Australian team's 2-0 victory in Ireland in 2000 as one of the highlights of his career.

"I was lucky enough to tour Ireland with him in 2000, so I got to know Boomer quite well, as well as some state games," he said.

"He's a credit to North Melbourne and to himself for this longevity. To think he started in 1996 and he's still going.

"He always played well against the Dogs. I don't know why that was, but I've watched lots of those running bounces and some amazing goals."

Johnson watches Harvey closely, as a tangible link back to his own playing days, now that so many running around on AFL fields these days were players Johnson never competed against.

"I watch Boomer as I'm pretty similar in size. He looks after himself and he was able to retain his pace," he said.

"I admire the level of professionalism he must have to prepare and to get over those little injuries when you do have them. It's a huge effort from him."

*Bernie Quinlan, 366 games for Footscray and Fitzroy, 1969-86 was unavailable due to other commitments.