WELCOME TO THE 300 GAME CLUB: SHAUN PAYZE

Only a select few players manage to play 300 games in the VAFA and this year the VAFA welcomed in two new members in Shaun Payze and Luke Wintle to the 300 Game Club. To be eligible for membership a player must have played a combined 300 senior, under 19s or representative matches in the VAFA.
Shaun Payze of Peninsula Old Boys is a legend of the club and now is one of the few to join the list of players in the VAFA’s 300 Game Club. However in his own words he never intended it to be that way.
“The VAFA is a great competition but I never intentionally chose to play in it, I just wanted to play at my own club and that happened to be Peninsula who played in the VAFA” Payze told the guests at the AGM Dinner.
Payze has played 300 senior games for the Pirates (with the obscurity of just one reserves game since his debut in 1998. Payze also represented the VAFA in 2000, which is something he is very proud of.

He has been the club captain for 9 seasons, and has kicked over 900 goals for Peninsula in his time at the club. This enormous goal tally includes being the section leading goal kicker on four occasions and his club’s leading goal kicker in 10 times.

He won the J Fullerton Medal as the Division 2 Section Best and Fairest in 2005. At club level his numbers are phenomenal. Payze is a six time club champion and has been runner up in the club best and fairest on five occasions. Therefore in eleven seasons of football he has featured in the top two of the Peninsula best and fairest.
However with all the individual awards, there is just one that he would love to still achieve and that is a premiership. Peninsula have been runners up four times since Payze has been at the club.
When being presented with his 300 Game Club Award, VAFA CEO Michael Sholly made a comparison in the careers of both Payze and Wintle, but Payze in his acceptance speech was quick to point out the differences between the pair.
“I would love to do what Luke has done and play in a premiership, I am getting closer to the end of my career now and it has been a fantastic experience playing with and against some fantastic people, but we still haven’t managed to win on the last day of the year” said Payze.
Peninsula have never won a senior VAFA premiership and have been runner up seven times.
“It (the VAFA) is a great competition and it is very humbling to receive an award such as this, I loved the experience of playing State footy and I still love playing today” said Payze.
The VAFA would like to congratulate Shaun Payze on the magnificent achievement of joining the 300 Game Club.