GSFL 2023: Royals wingman Ryan Kinnear to equal games record of close mate Mitch Curnow with 276th appearance

Five-time premiership player Ryan Kinnear will be celebrated on Saturday, creating history for Royals as he equals the league games record with his 276th appearance in blue and white. The highly decorated wingman is one of only two Lions to have surpassed 250 games in the club’s history and is set to break the mark set by his close mate Mitch Curnow in the next fortnight. Curnow, who is still playing reserves for the Lions, was the Lions league games record holder after surpassing club legend Robin Waugh in 2019 and going on to play 276 matches. Kinnear will equal that mark in round 14 on Saturday when his Lions tackle Denmark-Walpole and will become the games record holder if he runs out in round 15 against North Albany the following week. The 37-year-old said the milestone will be something he will reflect on once he has hung up the boots. “I haven’t put much thought into it,” Kinnear said. “It is a special achievement and something I will look back on once I’m done with a lot of pride. “If you look at Robin Waugh and Gavin Morgan and those kind of guys, they are still club legends and people spoken about in the club so highly. “Mitch and I are not at their level as footballers but this is testament to our dedication to the club so to be on a similar level as those guys is really special.” Kinnear made his league debut in 2003 and is a former Lions captain and would have been beyond 300 games already if not for three years away from Albany. He said Curnow had been vital in helping him get to this point at the club. “Mitch has been awesome in helping drag me through in my time at the club,” Kinnear said. “I thought three or four years ago that I’d had enough but his determination showed the way for me, to get my body right and aspire to keep playing longer.” Curnow said it was fitting that Kinnear will hold the Lions record. “I’m really happy for Ryan, you want people you care about to do well,” he said. “This is great testament to him, not just at Royals but his commitment to sport and the Albany community. “I know how hard it is at 30 to get up and play each week. “It feels fitting and Ryan probably would have got there first but he went away for cricket and then Busselton.” Since records have been kept, only four Lions players have surpassed 200 league games with Curnow (276) about to be joined by Kinnear after they have both gone past Waugh (236) and Gavin Morgan (208).