Notte cements place in history with 300th game

Only Bill Walker for Swan Districts and six other men in the history of the WAFL competition have ever done what Tony Notte will do this Saturday afternoon when he runs out in a black-and-white jumper for a 300th time.

Swan Districts is celebrating its 90-year anniversary of entering the WAFL competition this season and nothing highlights what a rare and remarkable achievement it is for Notte to reach the 300-game mark than how rare of a feat it is.

The only player in those 90 years to reach 300 games previously is the legendary Bill Walker and in the entire WAFL competition, only Mel Whinnen (371), Bill Dempsey (343), Jack Sheedy (332), Brian Peake (315) and Kris Miller (303) have ever achieved the milestone.

What it highlights is what a remarkable part of the Swan Districts Football Club Notte will always hold and it's only fitting that he came right through the ranks of the club, had a successful colts career and has never looked back since.

He did spend time at the West Coast Eagles and played two AFL games, but his legacy has been cemented with Swans over 299 games now with 194 of those also being consecutive before Covid got in the way.

He also had to fight back last year from a knee reconstruction in 2022 and he still is playing on in 2024 while living and working down south, but already as a captain of the club, a three-time Swan Medal winner and six-time state representative, his legacy is secure.

Reaching 300-game milestone

Notte will join the legendary Walker as the only two 300-game players in the 90-year history of Swan Districts, and now that the milestone has arrived, it is sinking in ahead of Saturday's big day against Subiaco at Sullivan Logistics Stadium.

"It kind of does feel a little bit surreal and with each year you just keep playing, and you focus on each week as it comes and you don't really think about the numbers building up," Notte said.

"You've got a goal in mind and you just want to keep performing well, and want to play finals. That's really all you think about and then when these milestones come up, it's great, but I just go into each year with the goal of wanting to play each game and prepare the best I can to do that.

"Obviously now that I've got to 300, it still feels a little bit weird just because I'm still in the mindset of focusing on having to win the game. It's like that game after game where you just worry about winning, and the goal this year to play on was to play finals not for these milestones.

"I know it will get built up pretty big and it feels a bit surreal to think about when you consider how few people have reached the milestone, but all I'm worrying about is winning the game."

Still playing well at 300-game mark

The thing that means more to Notte than any individual milestone is being part of winning football matches for Swan Districts, and getting back to playing finals football in 2024.

When he made the decision to play on in 2024, he knew there was the lure of the milestones to come, but he would have willingly gave them up if he didn’t think he could play an important role in helping Swans get back to finals action.

Notte is holding up that end of the bargain well and truly, and with fellow defenders and long-time teammates Brandon Erceg and Alex Howard having somewhat interrupted seasons of late, his presence down back has been crucial.

The 34-year-old had another strong impact in Saturday's memorable win at home to West Perth with 18 possessions and eight marks.

While he's proud to get to 300 games, he never would have got there without still feeling like he was making a strong contribution to the team's performance.

"That was the reason for coming back again this year, I wanted to make sure I could still contribute the best I can," Notte said.

"I didn’t want to be that player just clinging onto a spot, I wanted to be able to help us play finals this year and I wouldn’t have played on if I didn’t think I could do that.

"Last year I was coming off the ACL and it was a bit of a year of just getting through, and building that confidence in my body and then build up to a big pre-season to have one last crack this year.

"I'm very happy to still be able to contribute and that's what I want to do play my part in us hopefully having some success this year."

What stands out as you now reflect

While there has been some memorable wins that Notte has been part of over his career and he did play in the 2008 grand final as an 18-year-old, it's more than just what happens on the field that stands out as he takes a second to reflect.

There have been individual highlights including making his AFL debut, playing six games representing Western Australia and winning three Swan Medals as fairest and best, but it's about more than that.

A 16-year journey of senior football at Swans and more going back to his teenage years, it's more about the relationships he's built and the life-long friendships and bonds that he's formed that will mean more than everything else.

"I always just kind of think of it being a bit of a rollercoaster ride along the way, and that's probably what football or any sport is going to be like," Notte said.

"You have your ups and your downs, and I was lucky enough to get drafted and have that experience. Then you have that bit of a downward spiral when you get delisted and having to work out what's next with your life.

"In terms of your football, you go back to the WAFL and want to prove yourselves and get back to enjoying footy, and trying to play good footy. That's just what it is and you get your ups and downs, and you go through losses and our club went through some hard times.

"But you want to stick around to see the club through those times and what stands out is the relationships that you build through that time. What stands out to me is being part of something at a club with people who have been around for so long, and that goes beyond just the players.

"It's also people who were there before I started and are still there now, and having those relationships is something that I will treasure for the rest of my life more than anything that's happened on the field."

Who are you look forward to sharing it with

Notte knows that his football career never would have started without the support of his parents, and he also is fully aware it wouldn’t still be continuing to 300 games without the help, support and understanding of wife Jessica.

Those are the ones, along with two-year-old daughter Alaska, who will be first on his mind when he runs out onto the field on Saturday for the milestone occasion.

"Firstly it's family that you think of on occasions like this. Family are the ones who for a lot of people give their kids the chance to pursue a career to start with, and my family were always so supportive and have been there the whole way from the start of my career," Notte said.

"Now even more so when I'm living down south, I feel very lucky to have a wife who is so supportive to let me keep playing footy and dealing with the travel. She gives up a lot of her time and I couldn’t do without her so the family support has always been the biggest thing to me."

Beyond his family, there are plenty of teammates who Notte has played with over the journey who he will have a lifelong bond with no matter where life now might have taken them, but it's those loyal servants around the club that he hopes know how thankful he is to as well over the journey.

"Then there is the playing group you share it with. When you play for so long you see a lot of guys come and go, but you really do remember the ones that mean a lot and more so the ones that you still keep in contact with now," he said.

"I've got some really good friends who might have gone over east or what not but I still stay in contact. Then there are so many other people around the club with all the support staff and everyone who have been there part of my career, and been at the club since I started as a young kid.

"All those people throughout that time you cherish that time with and there are some who have passed away along the way too that you think of during things like this.

"Hopefully over my time everyone has known how thankful I've been for the support and help I've received, so I hope they all know how grateful I am to them for the part they've played in my career."

Treating it like just another game

It wouldn’t take long in your interactions with Notte to quickly realise that putting the team first is not something he just says, it's something that he lives by and that's why all he cares about is winning Saturday's game against Subiaco.

Whether it's his 300-game milestone or not, all he is worried about is Swan Districts making it back-to-back wins to consolidate their position inside the top five by the end of the WA Day long weekend.

"It's just another game once it gets underway. If everyone went into a milestone and thought they were going to play better, you'd see every team and every player that's ever had a milestone win those games," Notte said.

"It doesn’t always happen so once you get out on the field everyone knows they have a job to do and have to play their role for the team. It is just another game at the end of the day that you want to win."