AFL Hall of Famer Terry Wallace has recalled how former Footscray rover Brian Royal was left stranded on 199 games.
Royal, a dual All-Australian and Charlie Sutton Medallist, called time on his VFL/AFL career in 1993 after a nasty Achilles injury left him one game short of magic 200-mark.
But speaking on SEN’s KB and The Doc, Wallace revealed a selection oversight cost Royal the chance to notch his 200th game for the Bulldogs.
“Brian Royal finished on 199 games, got dropped, and no one realised at the club that he was on 199,” Wallace said.
“He was going to play in his 200th, the side was selected, and he rang the coach (Terry Wheeler), and the coach apologised; said he had no idea.
“They said: ‘We will play you next week’ … he did his Achilles in the reserves and never got the opportunity.”
Following his retirement, Royal moved into coaching and enjoyed assistant roles at Melbourne, St Kilda, Richmond and the Dogs.
He was inducted into the Footscray-Western Bulldogs' Hall of Fame in 2012.
Listen to Terry Wallace’s chat on SEN’s KB and The Doc in the player below