Australian rules footballer first man in 85 years to play after turning 40

Australian rules football player Dustin Fletcher will be just the second man in Australian Football League (AFL) history to play the game after turning 40 years of age when he takes to the field on Saturday.

The veteran has played at the Melbourne-based Essendon Bombers since he debuted 22 years and 398 games ago, and will be the only man since Vic Cumberland -- who retired 85 years previously in 1920 -- to achieve the feat.

Australian rules football is a demanding game that is notorious for big hits and extreme endurance; players will often run more than 20 kilometers during a match. Players typically retire in their early 30s, and only six men in the sport's history have played on after turning 39 years of age.

When Fletcher took to the park in his league debut in April, 1993, twelve players on Essendon's current senior playing list were not yet born.

Fletcher is notorious in the AFL for his long kicks, his arm reach, and his endurance running.

He has been lucky enough to have helped the Bombers win two premierships during his time playing at the elite level. He was a part of a winning side during his debut year in 1993, and was instrumental in Essendon's latest premiership, which it won in 2000.

Fletcher is expected to be only the third man to reach the milestone of playing 400 league games, and will likely be second on the all-time list if he plays out the season. He currently sits third behind league legends Michael tuck (426 games) and Kevin Bartlett (403 games).

The second oldest league player, North Melbourne's Brent Harvey, is 37 years of age and would need to play on until 2018 to match Fletcher's milestone. Endi