![Last Saturday Todd Basham leads out the Cootamundra Blues at Rockley Oval in Googong against the Woden Blues. For Basham this match saw him break the record for the most matches [290] for the Blues.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/KmaUEninnpnf2uAdKbuj4Q/043e6c14-0928-4c35-bdfc-85ff077bc787.jpg/r0_5_1818_1029_w576_h298_fmax.jpg "Last Saturday Todd Basham leads out the Cootamundra Blues at Rockley Oval in Googong against the Woden Blues. For Basham this match saw him break the record for the most matches [290] for the Blues.")
It was decades in the making, but last Saturday Todd Basham became the most capped Blues footballer when he stepped onto Rockley Oval at Googong against the Woden Blues in round four of AFL Canberra Division three.
For two years, Todd Basham and David Harris have been locked together on 289 matches as the equal games record holder.
Basham, who turns 50 in a couple of weeks, only came into the Blues line up when Dylan McDermott pulled out on Friday night.
The players quickly embraced the milestone and Todd led the Blues onto the field. At the end of the match the players chaired off the popular clubman.
In something unique about breaking the record, Todd shared the record match with his two sons, Blake and Aaron, who have been a big part of Blues playing group for a number of seasons.
Todd Basham's playing career with the Blues commenced way back in 1989. Basham was a very dependable backline player.
In 1994 Todd was a member of the Blues Reserve Grade premiership side that defeated Uranquinty by a mammoth 51 pts.
Todd also played in the darkest part of the Blues history.
Between 2001 to 2003, while playing in the Farrer League, the Blues playing stocks were at an all-time low. During this period, the Blues won only two of 48 matches. Many players were forced to double up. Hard to believe it now, but Todd played a total of 68 matches over this three-year period. Unbelievably in the 2002 season, Todd played 28 matches. In 2003 he played 24 matches.
Since 2004 the Blues have played all their football in AFL Canberra.
Todd played the first three seasons in AFL Canberra. He retired after the 2006 grand final when Belconnen thumped the Blues. By this time Todd had played 256 matches for the club.
Over the next 14 seasons, he occasionally helped the Blues out when they were short. Some seasons he was not required, like 2014 when the Blues won the premiership when playing numbers were plentiful and the same last season when the Blues were runners up.
In his milestone match he relished the opportunity to get onto the field and in the third quarter he reminded us later, that kick he got soon after taking his place on the field.
Sadly, for Todd and the club, the Blues lost to the Woden Blues by 36 pts.
Todd's hard work on and off the field were rewarded with life membership in 2003.
Since 2014 Todd has been the hard working president of the Blues.
Well played Todd Basham.
The Blues top ten, most games played:
290- Todd Basham
289- David Harris
287- John Walton
271- Rod Bradley
269- Garrie Cooper
257- Brent Milthorpe
254- Greg Rudd
254- Dennis Bradbury
250 - John Connell
230- Peter Delaney
