But the Mornington Peninsula Raiders on-baller is already pining for the paddock and counting down the days until summer training begins in November.

"It's too long a break between seasons," he said from his home in Frankston. "Some of the guys like to keep moving, otherwise it's like coming out of retirement again when the season starts."

Rutherford knows a thing or two about comebacks. He played many years with the Karingal Bulls before hanging up his boots at a sensible age.

Some two decades later - give or take a few years, nobody's counting - while walking his dog, he ran into an old friend who had news of a 'Superules' football club being formed.

Rutherford was among the first to sign on at the new club, based at Alexandra Park in Mornington.

That was in the over-35s team; he later graduated to the over-40s and then the over-47s, the pinnacle of Superules so far.

On the last game this season he was chaired from the ground, having notched up 100 games of Superules, a feat made all the more remarkable when it is considered the competition played an eight-game fixture this year and Rutherford had 18 months on the sidelines after a knee reconstruction a few years ago.

The competition plays fortnightly over winter, giving players an extra week to recover, and the Raiders bench can sometimes reach double figures, allowing plenty of rest for busy players, but it would be wrong to think the competition is football lite.

"There is no quarter given in our matches," Rutherford said.

The Raiders have a "few other" players in their 60s and over-47s coach Graeme Toms is 61, an important factor in Rutherford's continuing enjoyment of the game.

Rutherford was runner-up in the Raiders' over-47s best and fairest vote tally this year.