A 1972 Golden Square premiership player and 1970 best and fairest winner, he is best known around the footy club for how many games he's played.

"I'm sitting on 99 games for Golden Square and it's become a bit of a joke around the club," he said.

What is no laughing matter is his work with Sports Chaplaincy Australia.

For more than a decade he has married his love of sport with his passion for serving people as Sports Chaplaincy Australia's Victorian country chaplain.

"I've been a pastor for almost 40 years and sports chaplaincy for me started back with the Bendigo Bombers," Mr Claridge said.

With the Bombers coming and going, Mr Claridge forged a strong relationship with Nick Carter from Bendigo Bank, who was involved with the Bombers.

Mr Claridge was recently contracted to provide Bendigo Bank's first chaplaincy service.

In just six months in the role, he has already noticed the similarities between his work in sporting organisations and what goes on in the corporate world.

"Whether people are in the corporate field or a sporting arena, they are trying to be the best at what they do.

"But the same problems exist for everyone - grief, life, challenges, sicknesses and tragedies," Mr Claridge said.

Mr Claridge's role at Bendigo Bank is not dissimilar to what he does at sporting clubs.

The urban chaplaincy model, where the chaplain becomes part of the community but isn't actively involved in running the organisation, has been adopted at Bendigo Bank.

"My role here is to get around and get to know people.

"People can come and chat about anything from work issues to personal issues and challenges in their life outside the bank," Mr Claridge said.

Recent societal shifts have created a different landscape, both on the sporting field and in the office.

"The take up of chaplains, particularly in sporting clubs, has been more than I expected," Mr Claridge said.

"We don't have enough chaplains to fit the demand."

The role of figureheads at clubs and businesses has also changed, with a greater emphasis on pastoral care.

"The coach is doing more than just teaching them how to play footy.

"He becomes a father figure to many," Mr Claridge said.

A drift away from churches and towards sporting clubs as being the central community hub has meant these are now the places where people seek help.

"In the 60s and 70s, a footballer was a footballer.

"Nobody really looked after other parts of your life much," Mr Claridge said.

Being aware of the bigger picture, and not labelling a person as a banker or a footballer has been part of the change, with Mr Claridge's role as much about being reactive as it is being proactive.

"At Golden Square, I often say that if there is a brawl on the field, you guys are first to go in and support your mates.

"That's great, but I want you to do that off the field as well.

"If someone is down and their mood has changed or they're depressed, urge them talk to someone," Mr Claridge said.

Chaplaincy has taken Mr Claridge across the world, from helping establish Victory Church and Victory Christian College, to the streets of Kolkata in India.

"In 2013, I had a dream to create an alternative to an end of season footy trip.

"Those trips can be interesting, but they're not very productive," Mr Claridge said.

A longstanding relationship with a pastor in Kolkata paved the way for Mr Claridge to take a team of central Victorians to the city and teach the locals Aussie rules.

"My philosophy was if you're in India and want to play cricket, you've got to beat about a billion people, but Aussie Rules was just getting started there," he said.

With AFL India alongside them, Mr Claridge and a host of Bendigo sportspeople help run the annual AFL National Championships in January.

A career in chaplaincy has been rewarding and a longstanding affinity to Golden Square football club has left the door open, to one day run out one last time.

"There have been plenty of rumours that one day I might play my 100^th senior game.

"It would be the longest time ever between 99^th and 100^th games I'd say," Mr Claridge said.

Almost as long as he's been a chaplain in Bendigo and country Victoria, listening to and helping people in the community.

No banners, no celebration and never chaired off the ground.

That's a milestone worth celebrating.