FOOTBALL
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He admits the battle between heart and mind may one day get the better of him, but the Illawarra's oldest footballer is no closer to calling it quits.
Peter Webster celebrated his 75th birthday last week on the place he has called home for the best part of the past 60 years.
A friendly match organised by his sons saw Webster face off against friends and family on the football pitch.
The match featured Webster's sons Neil, Craig and Cameron, with grandkids Jake, Eliza, Sophie and Zara also on the paddock.
Four more grandchildren - Kaitlin, Victoria, Sonny and Madison - watched from the sidelines.
"In my 70th birthday game my grandson played but this time we got the three granddaughters to play as well, which was great," Webster said. "It was a good night. To play with them and against them too was really special."
Webster still plays locally with the Figtree Titans in the FSC Community League Over 35s division 3 competition and hasn't missed a game since he travelled to Germany to watch Australia play in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
He is one of 22 registered players over the age of 70 in Australia and is the fifth oldest participating player in NSW.
"Sometimes I think, why am I playing? And then I look around and think I am better than him or him," he says.
"There are other blokes who are better, but then I look at others I guess I say if he can still play, then so can I."
Webster said he still gets excited on a Saturday morning and isn't stopping just yet.
"I have never said it was going to be the last season," Webster said. "Whether the legs and lungs can still do it is one thing but the brain might say it is about time you gave it up. The heart will always say keep playing but the brain might tell me otherwise sometime soon. Until that happens, I won't stop."
For the record, Team Webster (Figtree Titans Over 35s Div 3) drew the match 4-4 with Figtree Fire (Over 35s Div 2) on the night.