A “delicate” situation has developed around the question of Scott Pendlebury’s future at Collingwood. with concerns growing the club might try to move him on “against his will”.
The 38-year-old last month told Channel 7 he remained undecided about playing on in 2027 but it is now understood he wants to continue.
Yet the Magpies are yet to commit and put an offer on the table for the man they helped break the VFL/AFL games record earlier this year.
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“I think they would surely present something down the track and discussions are ongoing between himself, Charlie Gardiner and Craig McRae — they’re the power trio discussing his future — there’s no confirmation yet they are going to actually offer him a deal,” 7NEWS reporter Tom Morris said on SEN.
7AFL expert Kane Cornes replied: “Gee there’s a fair bit to unpack with this. This is the first time I’ve heard this so my mind’s — I thought he would’ve retired, that’s what I thought and what I thought he should have done.”
Morris said other clubs have sat up and wonder whether they could make a play for Pendlebury in the Sam Mitchell mould.
Mitchell, now thriving as Hawthorn’s coach without any concerns about his legacy, left the Hawks to play one final season at West Coast in 2017 before joining the coaching staff and contributing to the 2018 premiership.
But what Pendlebury means to Collingwood has created serious uncertainty for the midfielder.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of people around this situation and I can’t remember a story about selection or retirement — a football story, that doesn’t include health or mental health — where people are treading as carefully as what they are,” Morris said.
“People are treading so delicately with this, which just raises my antenna — what is going on behind the scenes about Pendlebury. People are so careful about it.
“Would he feel comfortable playing 60 per cent game time, being rested and the odd VFL game? And that’s why other clubs are on high alert. I think the utopia is he stays at Collingwood but I’m just telling you there are more options here than meets the eye.”
Cornes replied: “Yeah well that’s what his people would like you to believe. I’m sure that aspect of it, that clubs have pricked up and clubs are interested, is being driven by the Pendlebury side. How real that is, I don’t know. Is there one club that will look? There’s certainly not 10 that would look at Scott Pendlebury. He doesn’t fit.”
Three clubs entered Cornes’ mind immediately.
“Tassie’s perfect but he probably doesn’t want to go to Tassie,” he said.
“He’d be great at Port Adelaide but he’s not going to go to Port Adelaide. They haven’t started their rebuild yet.”
Cornes said Pendlebury would be perfect to “shepherd” Port’s players if, as expected, Zak Butters departs at the end of the season.
He also argued Essendon “probably works” but raised a larger concern about Pendlebury and Collingwood.
“I just feel like is this Pendlebury becoming a bit bigger than the club?” Cornes asked.
“He’s making it incredibly difficult for the club if they think they need to move on from him. It’s going to take a courageous (decision).
“We’re in August. The home-and-away season is nearly done. If they wanted him to play he would have a deal in front of him like he has in the past. If they wanted him they would’ve signed him.
“This is making it really difficult for those making this decision because in the end you’re being forced to make a call to move on a club great against his will and that doesn’t often end well with the player.
“Just think how well they’ve look after him. They have crawled him to the record by keeping him fresh and making sure they handpicked that. They made it huge for him.
“They made it the biggest spectacle we’ve ever seen for one individual in a home-and-away game, and rightly so. He’s done a lot for them.
“If he’s going to them and saying ‘guys do you want me’ and they’re saying ‘well I’m not sure’ — he walks away.”
McRae last month said Pendlebury’s decision on his future “is his to be made whenever he wants to make it”.
