WEDDERBURN playing coach Danny Benaim says he can't imagine playing anywhere else.
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The five-time Redbacks premiership player and three-time club best and fairest winner became only the second player in the North Central league club's history to reach 300 games in Saturday's 146-point win over Boort.
The only gloss off a massive day for the club was its failure to win a finals berth, after Donald held on to fourth spot with a nail-biting two-point win against St Arnaud.
A St Arnaud victory would have allowed Wedderburn to leapfrog Donald into fourth spot.
But that in no way soured club celebrations for one of the Redbacks' favourite sons, four-time premiership captain and inspirational leader.
Benaim said the milestone was something he never envisioned when he first pulled on the red and black jersey, or at any other stage of his hugely successful career.
"All I've ever said to anyone is that I wanted to play senior football at Wedderburn - I had no idea about playing 300 games, it's not something you think of doing or dream of doing," he said.
"It will probably kick in later on, when I stop playing."
Benaim, who owns and operates The Locksmiths Store in Bendigo with wife Carly, travels to Wedderburn for training and matches.
All I've ever said to anyone is that I wanted to play senior football at Wedderburn - I had no idea about playing 300 games, it's not something you think of doing or dream of doing.
- Danny Benaim
Testament to his commitment to the club, he made the long commute back from Melbourne to play, when he lived in the city for five years.
"I never saw it as a commitment because I just loved coming back," he said.
"It didn't worry me - I would have driven from Sydney if I had to. I enjoy it that much."
Benaim said his five premierships in 2007, and four-straight from 2011-14, were the obvious highlights of his time at Wedderburn.
He was captain during the four-peat and later became coach in 2016.
"Premierships are what we play for and it was just a phenomenal group - we were such a close group of mates. Everyone just stuck around," he said.
"2007 was special too, especially for the club, because it was the drought-breaker - we hadn't won since 1970.
"The others were a bit different, being with the same group - we ended up with about five of us playing in all five grand finals."
As committed a club person as you will meet, Benaim hailed the amalgamation of the Redbacks' football, netball and hockey clubs in 2018 as a great move.
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The 35-year-old, who played 21 games with NTFL club St Mary's in 2004-05 and has kicked more than 250 goals for the Redbacks since records started being kept in 2009, has re-signed as coach for 2020 and hopes there is still plenty left in his playing career.
"I'd coach forever if it's Wedderburn - it's not going to happen - but for the simple love of it," Benaim said.
"I love footy. I am one of those silly people who seems like they'll play forever - I don't care what grade, I'll just keep on having a kick until I physically can't do it.
"One day I'll wake up and realise I can't, but until then I'll keep on going."
A 10-time inter-league representative, Benaim joins Andrew Lockhart (308 games) as the only Redbacks players to notch 300 games.
He said it was an 'absolute honour' to be among such esteemed company.
"Regardless of whatever else he has done at the club, and it's been an awful lot, 300 games has always put him in elite company on his own," he said.
"Not that 300 games was something I ever thought of, but his photo was always up on the wall to look at when I was a kid coming through.
"He was the man, but now I am going to be up there with him. That's something that is going to be hard to get used to."