By Tara Murray
Jesse Sheppard makes history on Saturday as he became the first person to play 300 games for Woodend-Hesket.
As Sheppard took to the field in the reserves match, he achieved something no other player had done since the acclamation of the Woodend and Hesket clubs in 1978.
Sheppard said he didn’t even realise he was making history until the club posted it on social media in the lead up to the game.
“It feels good,” he said. “It seems pretty easy to play 300 games at Woodend,” he said. “It’s a massive honour.
“I love the club and it’s somewhere I’ve been since I was 15. I just keep turning up.”
Sheppard played his junior football at Woodend before stepping into under-18s in 2005 and senior football followed.
He was under-18 captain in 2007 before being senior captain between 2011 and 2015.
Sheppard is a life member at the club with the club’s social media describing him as loyal, fearless and a respected Hawk through and through.
Sheppard said he wouldn’t have gone anywhere else to play football with him being a local.
“I love playing with mates,” he said. “We’ve had a few lean years, but playing with my mates is what I enjoy.
“I bring my family down there and my kids love it. My wife wishes I would give it away but I keep going down there.”
Sheppard said being part of the under-18s premiership was pretty special moment on the field.
There hasn’t been a lot of success at the club in Sheppard’s time.
He said captaining the senior side was a massive honour. He played about 220 senior games, including playing 156 in a row at one stage.
“I just got lucky with genetics and haven’t had any soft tissue injuries.”
Sheppard returns to the side on Saturday for his first match since round six.
He dropped back to playing in the reserves in 2022 and it’s something he enjoyed.
“I’ve enjoyed it just as much, if not more,” he said. “It’s without the pressure.”
Sheppard said this was likely his last year of playing as his body doesn’t recover as well as it used to.
While he may not continue playing, Sheppard said he would still be around the club all the time.
Sheppard said he hoped the club didn’t have too big a celebration planned.
“We’ll see what happens.”
