Mild mannered, unflappable. Regardless of the circumstances, not matter the temperature in the kitchen, there has always been a calm aura around Andrew Gaff.

As he prepares for his 280^th – and final match for the West Coast Eagles – and we reflect on his remarkable career, those are the traits that immediately spring to mind. These underlying attributes have been at the core of his unwavering consistency.

Composure in the cauldron of battle, a clear head amongst the chaos; a chess master whose mind moves faster than his legs.

Gaff is not an extraordinary athlete. Not in the sense that he has lightning, line-breaking speed or can launch onto the shoulders of a 200cm opponent and drag down a hangar. His gift is that he has unrivalled endurance; an inner strength to drive his legs harder and further when they are screaming ‘STOP.’

For 279 senior matches he has pounded the turf of major stadia around the country, working back and forth, up and down the wings. Linking defence and midfield. Understanding his role, playing to his strengths.

He is Steve Moneghetti, not Usain Bolt. That comparison of two contrasting running machines is poignant.

To take that another step, at a time when his generation is largely consumed by American sports, particularly the razzle-dazzle of NBA and NFL, Gaff tunes into tennis, golf or the English Premier League soccer.

Drilling down further to align his personality with high achievers in those sports, he is more Roger Federer than Novak Djokovic, more Scotty Scheffler than Bryson DeChambeau, more Lionel Messi than Ronaldo . In essence he’s conservative, accepting that a public profile is part of this football gig but he does not seek out attention.

As he has pushed the boundaries of physical endurance and durability he has accumulated a club record 7167 possessions. And a record of 113 consecutive matches from 2011to 2016. It took a crude roundhouse to the head against Port Adelaide to interrupt that run.

We don’t have the numbers but across his career he has probably travelled more kilometres than the average Victorian club in any given season.

Along that journey, where there has been minimal variation between his best and worst, the Eagles version of the energiser bunny has achieved amazing feats.

Because he is so understated there is a tendency to downplay the heights he has scaled in the last 14 years. Please take the time to absorb the following details.

He won the Club Champion Award in 2015 and was runner-up in 2020. Eight times he has been top five in the John Worsfold Medal, 11 times in the top 10 across his career. Those numbers are mind-blowing.

Only Shannon Hurn (twice runner-up), Guy McKenna (dual Club Champion and twice runner-up) and Matt Priddis (2013 Club Champion and four-time runner-up) have been in that exclusive group as often.

Gaff’s capacity to deliver in big games is exemplified by twice winning the coveted player of the finals award. He was twice selected as an All-Australian wingman.

He will finish with the fourth highest number of games played for club, sitting behind his good mate Hurn (333), current teammate Jack Darling (296) and champion ruckman Dean Cox (290).

Gaff and Darling arrived at the club at the same time. At AAMI Stadium on November 18, 2010 Gaff was called out by West Coast recruiters with selection #4. At pick #26 the Eagles added Darling and at #29 they snared young South Australian ruckman Scott Lycett.

Gaff and Darling have been outstanding contributors to the club throughout their careers while Lycett opted to return to SA after the 2018 Grand Final.

 

Another man drafted on that day – Northampton product Jamie Cripps – was secured by St Kilda at #24. He played 16 games in two seasons with the Saints before seeking a trade to the Eagles.

On the day that Gaff steps out for the final time, Cripps will play his 250^th senior game – 233 of them for our club. Both deserve the highest of acknowledgements.