In what has been an epic football journey over the past 37-years, Kevin Sheedy will achieve yet another career milestone this Friday night. He will become only the second player / coach behind Jock McHale to reach 800 official games in the AFL.

Sheedy played 251 games for Richmond and has coached Essendon for the past 548 games. This milestone is yet another pinnacle in his outstanding commitment to football. ""It’s quite a long time I suppose, when you look back at coming into Tigerland back in 1967. It’s been a pretty good learning experience, there’s no doubt about that."" Sheedy said.

Since being appointed coach in 1980, Sheedy has delivered constant success to the Essendon faithful. Four-day premierships are proof that he as Essendon’s longest serving coach, has been an icon for success at the club. Sheedy is all too familiar with how involved AFL coaching is.

""What happens is that the onus of the whole club is thrown upon your shoulders’. The football club has given the coach the responsibility of running the football side of the business.

""When you play as a back pocket or ruck-rover you could get out and physically do something. When you are planning and making decisions, every day, every minute, every hour of your working life as we do as coaches, it’s a fair amount of your life put into it,"" Sheedy said.

""So when you win a premiership you know that you have put a lot of thought into it from all the hours you’ve put into it and all the hours you’re not with your family.""

The prospect of a coaching until he reaches 1000 games hasn’t entered Sheedy’s mind – he is more concerned with the job at hand. ""You never look that far ahead. At the moment I am just trying to make sure I am a pretty good coach,"" he said. ""Our sides have been very consistent and competitive and I hope that the fans have always appreciated that.""

""I have been there nearly a quarter of a century, it been just sensational for me. The day I leave Essendon, we will all go out and have a party together and say ‘well it has been a terrific time’, because that is the way I feel about this club. For the last 23 years it has been a huge development for myself.

""I won’t consider life after Essendon at this point until I get it out of my mind that winning another premiership is out of the equation,"" Sheedy said