HOW fitting that Kade Simpson’s 300^th senior appearance for Carlton should fall against Port Adelaide, the club from which the Blues’ games record holder Craig Bradley was originally recruited.

'Braddles' came to Carlton in 1986 on the back of 98 games in five seasons with Port. The next 18 seasons would see him grandly represent this club in 375 games through to 2002, the year before Simpson’s senior debut.

Though Bradley’s games record at Carlton appears safe for now, he inherits in ‘Simmo’ a new member of the coveted 300 club – a club whose members are John Nicholls, Bruce Doull and Stephen Silvagni.

That is Carlton royalty and Simpson is truly humbled with the prospect of being part of it.

“It’s embarrassing really to be named alongside these sorts of guys . . . not only legends of Carlton but legends of the AFL,” Simpson said.

“But I’m sure once I’m retired that this is something I’ll look back on and hold pretty dear to my heart.”

To bring some perspective to the durability of a player pound for pound League football’s toughest, it’s worth noting that it’s five years since Simpson’s 180^th senior game took him past Fred Gilby as Carlton’s games record holder in the No.6, Gilby having last played in 1937.

Kade Simpson became the games record holder for the No.6 in 2013. (Photo: AFL Media)

Simpson, who wore the No.8 for most of his junior career at Emerald and later Eastern Ranges because it was also the number of choice of his older brother, said there was no rhyme or reason behind him being handed the No.6 in dark navy.

“When I turned up there were a couple of numbers free – 3, 6 and 14 I think – but I never got to choose 6, I just got given it,” he said.

“I’ve been happy with the No.6 but I was daunted when I got it. I was in between ‘Ratts’ (Brett Ratten) and Andy McKay and they were two guys who pretty much did everything right. They were ultimate professionals, so I was pretty lucky to sit in between them and get a first-hand view of the way they went about it.”

The much-admired Kade Simpson will play his 300th AFL game on Sunday. (Photo: AFL Media)

The No.6 is as famous as any at Carlton. The fearsome Bob Chitty and the admirable West Australian Ern Henfry both carried the No.6 on their backs as the respective captains of Carlton’s 1945 and ’47 premiership teams, while Garry Crane, Carlton’s Team of the Century wingman, also sported the No.6 in the winning grand-final outfits of 1968, ’70 and ’72.

The number has also been worn by Mario Bortolotto in Carlton’s back-to-back grand-final victories of 1981 and ’82, and by the Western Australians Jon Dorotich and Matt Clape – the Blues’ premiership players of 1987 and ’95 respectively.

And Simmo has worn 6 as a badge of honour.

This week, with his much-anticipated 300^th game of senior League football looming, Kade Simpson participated in a podcast for Carlton’s Our History series.

In a wide-ranging interview, he reflects on his formative years from under-10s at Emerald in the Yarra Valley through to season 2018 as a Carlton senior player and everything else in between . . . so far.

“I see myself as incredibly lucky to have played for as long as I have, but once you retire you’re retired forever (and) I’m not about to give up just yet,” Simpson said.

“I’ll keep churning away.”

Kade Simpson says he's still got more to give under coach Brendon Bolton. (Photo: AFL Media)

Through the course of the interview, Simpson discussed many and varied issues, including:

• draft day 2002;
• an unlikely early mentor;
• the incident involving the then Collingwood on-baller Sharrod Wellingham and its aftermath;
• the influences of his senior coaches Pagan, Ratten, Malthouse and Bolton;
• the influence of Chris Judd;
• the club’s future and his own, and:
• how he would like to be remembered at Carlton

Stay tuned to carltonfc.com.au on Wednesday for the release of the podcast.

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