The pair will retire after playing a combined 474 AFL games since both debuted in the Power’s first ever AFL match – Round One 1997 versus Collingwood at the MCG.
Burgoyne, 31, is second on the Power’s all-time AFL games list (he will reach 240 on Saturday night) while Lade, 33, is third (he will reach 234 games on Saturday night). They trail only Warren Tredrea (249 games on Saturday night).
The pair also sit second and fourth on the Power’s all-time AFL goalkicking list, with Burgoyne having booted 193 goals – despite playing much of the latter part of his career in defence as a rebounding half-back – and the long-kicking Lade 181 goals.
Both played in the 2004 Port Adelaide premiership side.
Burgoyne was recruited from Port Adelaide in the SANFL as a 1996 National Draft zone selection, making his AFL debut as a 19 year old, while Lade was recruited from South Adelaide the same way.
One of the best tap ruckmen to have played the game, Lade went on to become a dual All-Australian (2006, 2007), his partnership with Shaun Burgoyne around the packs often breathtaking.
Lade was a Rising Star Nominee (Round 7, 1997) and won the Power’s Best and Fairest award in 2006, Best Finals Player in 2003, Best Team Man in 2006 and Fos Williams Award in 2006.
Burgoyne finished third in the Power Best and Fairest count in 2003 and 2007, won the club’s Best Finals Player in 2007, was an International Rules Series representative in 1999, and played for the ‘Dream Team’ against Victoria in 2008. He was named in the Indigenous Team of the Century in 2005, and played State of Origin for South Australia in 1999.
