At 45-years-old and after more than two decades in the game, local AFL star Christian Triffitt is officially the most capped Penrith Rams player of all time.
Triffitt achieved the incredible milestone of 314 games earlier this month while playing with Penrith’s reserve grade team in the AFL Sydney Platinum Reserves competition. Triffitt passed Jason Ware’s long-standing record, who played with the Rams on and off from 1985 to 2017.
Growing up in Tasmania, Triffitt loved kicking a footy around, but it wasn’t until he moved to Sydney that he started playing competitively with his brother Eden and a friend.
A self-confessed late bloomer at 24, Triffitt began playing Aussie Rules in 2001 with the St Clair Crows.
Eventually, the Crows linked up with the Rams and Triffitt amazingly still plays with them to this day.
Speaking with the Weekender, Triffitt said he was blown away by the fanfare surrounding his 314-game milestone on June 11.
“It was nice to get a little recognition of being with the club for that many years but, being pretty quiet and with myself rather being behind the scenes at the footy club, I was happy to get off the ground pretty quickly following the match,” he said.
“However the boys from the team decided that wasn’t going to happen and hoisted me onto their shoulders, as both teams clapped me off the ground.”
Triffitt is one of the hardest working people in local sport. Not only is he a valuable player for the Rams, but he’s also the club’s photographer and is regularly at games taking photos from the sideline.
The Life Member said despite numerous injuries over the years, he can’t get enough of AFL.
“I think I’ve done pretty well with the injury side of football but, in saying that, I have broken a collarbone, an ankle and just the other week I broke my finger that required a plate and six screws to put back together,” Triffitt said.
“But I love Aussie Rules and the friends I’ve made from being part of the club. I find footy fun, and you don’t have to be the best player on the team – there’s a position for everyone.”
Unfortunately the 2022 season will be Triffitt’s last with Rams after moving interstate for work recently. He said he’ll fly back for one or two more games before calling it quits.
Triffitt said the 2012 season stands out as his favourite of his two-decade career.
“That year I captained the Reserves team to their first and only reserve grade premiership,” he said.
“2012 was also a great year because it was the first year of Penrith’s women’s team, the Ramettes, playing football.”
Nathan Taylor
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender's Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.