As Essendon champion Dustin Fletcher enters his 21st AFL season this year, records are set to be inevitably broken.

Ahead of the Bombers’ season opener on Friday night, the 37-year-old is due to play his 366th game this week, which will place him in equal sixth spot in VFL/AFL history for most games played. Fletcher sits slightly behind Michael Tuck, Kevin Bartlett, Robert Harvey, Simon Madden, Craig Bradley, and Bernie Quinlan.

Similarly - on the eve of Round 1 - Fletcher will also match the record of Robert Harvey playing in his 21st separate season, having debuted in 1993. This will equal the feat of former St Kilda player Harvey as the only man to have played matches in 21 separate seasons. Ted Whitten and Michael Tuck both played in 20 separate VFL/AFL seasons.

In another staggering achievement, in 2013, Fletcher is also the oldest player in the competition by more than three years.

There has not been such a large age gap between players in VFL/AFL competition since 1938 and is just the fourth occasion in history. North Melbourne veteran Brent Harvey is the competition’s second oldest player on a club list behind Fletcher.

Last year was a big season for the evergreen defender, as his consistency and never say die attitude on the Bombers last line of defence was recognised with a third placed finish in the club’s 2012 Best and Fairest behind captain Jobe Watson and 20-year-old Dyson Heppell.

This year, Fletcher will again prove that age is no barrier on the football field as he looks set to break the club’s games record, chasing Simon Madden’s 378 total games.

The two time premiership player, All-Australian and red-and-black fan favourite has amassed 365 games and 69 goals to his name since debuting against Carlton back in 1993.