CHRIS Newman won't just be celebrating his 250th game when Richmond meets the Sydney Swans on Saturday.
He will also be celebrating the fact he'll be playing on next year, after signing a one-year contract earlier this week.
This weekend's game might well have been his last. When the 32-year-old broke down with a torn calf in round seven against Geelong, he admitted he was close to the end.
"I didn't play a great game and I was probably at my lowest point there," Newman said this week. "I thought that realistically, I probably wouldn't go around again."
Newman decided a few weeks ago things had changed. His body started to feel better and he hasn't missed a game since round 15.
He's also enthused by the Tigers' late-season form.
"It's probably not so much our win-loss record, but just the way we've been playing – it's been really encouraging," he said.
"I desperately want to be a part of that."
Newman handed over the captaincy, which he held for four years, to Trent Cotchin in 2013.
Cotchin said Newman's decision to play on was exciting for the players who had directly benefited from his mentoring and help in both football and away from the game.
"He's fantastic for our younger guys," Cotchin told the AFL Record.
"He had some really tough years in the early days as captain and made big steps forward towards us having a better culture."
With the lure of adding to his one finals appearance from last season, Newman also hasn't ruled out playing beyond 2015.
"It didn't really sit comfortably with me to walk away now," he said.
"It just feels like we've got too much unfinished business and I feel I'm still required at the club, which is a really important thing for me."
