Scott Pendlebury opens up about his secret struggle with a back problem during the 2018 season

Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury has revealed the immense pain he fought throughout the 2018 season after a serious back problem which required post-season surgery.

Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury has revealed his secret struggle with a back problem last year which required post-season surgery.

The superstar onballer went under the knife after the Grand Final loss to relieve a debilitating nerve issue which hampered him in the second-half of last season.

While the five-time club champion has since regained full mobility, Pendlebury said he could barely pick the ball up off the ground at times last year.

“I was in a bit of strife most weeks last year,” Pendlebury said on the Jock and Journo podcast.

“It is not a nice feeling when you come out after half-time and you can barely touch your knees.

“I couldn’t believe the difference when I started training again in the summer (after the surgery), just being able to bend over and pick up ground balls easily.

“I remember saying to one of the physios ‘it feels good being able to get down to the ground so easily without having to worry about coming back up’.”

Scott Pendlebury was playing through pain in 2018. Picture: Getty Images

Pendlebury, 31, bravely fought on through the pain and restriction, playing 25 senior matches as Collingwood managed a crippling injury list last year.

He finished top-three in the best and fairest for the eighth time in nine seasons and ranked No. 1 for applied pressure at the club despite the back problem.

The brilliant ballwinner said he looked forward to playing with more physical freedom alongside superstar recruit Dayne Beams when the Pies open their 2019 campaign against Geelong in Friday night’s MCG blockbuster.

“Towards the back end of games I could feel everything in my body tighten up and brace, just because it was trying to protect itself,” he said. 

“I programed my body to get used to it.

“But we had a lot of injuries last year, and the last thing we needed was me to put my hand up and say ‘I needed a week off’. I think the load got to me.”

Entering his 14th season, Pendelbury was one of the club’s best players across the JLT Series, gathering 60 possessions as the Pies eclipsed Fremantle and Carlton in the pre-season.

The five-time All-Australian said he had altered his training program over summer to include a new pilates and stretching regime to better support his back.

“These are the things that every player goes through; injuries that you hide behind the scenes because you don’t want everyone to know about it,” he said.

“It wasn’t ideal timing, though. I still thought I played some pretty good footy last year.

“But every week it was a little bit of a battle that I haven’t been used to in the past.”