Collingwood veteran Jeremy Howe unsure about 2026 for trio of Magpies including Scott Pendlebury

Three Magpies all aged 34 or older remain keys to the Collingwood premiership push but questions about their future linger.

Veteran Collingwood defender Jeremy Howe concedes the seasons are “getting longer” but is no closer to making a call on continuing in to 2026 and doesn’t talk about it with his fellow “old guys” Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom.

The veteran trio remain key planks in the pursuit of a second premiership in three years and have helped guide the Magpies to the top of the ladder, including 37-year-old Pendlebury who has zoomed past 400 games.

Howe, 34 and in his 15th season, has played 10 of 11 games this season, including last week’s 45-point take-down of North Melbourne which was missed by Pendlebury, who was ill, and fellow 34-year-old Sidebottom, who was managed.

Scott Pendlebury is chaired off the ground by Jeremy Howe (L) and Steele Sidebottom (R) after his 400th game. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

With 262 game under his belt, Howe said he was feeling every game more and more and was in “discussions” about his future, confident there would be a decision everyone would be “happy” with.

“For me the seasons aren’t getting any shorter, they’re getting longer” Howe said on Monday.

“For me it’s always a physical and mental check-in, see how I’m going, and at the moment everything is in really good shape.

“I can’t afford to project too far forward. As long as I’m feeling like I am at the moment, all things are probably going in the right direction.

“The discussions will keep happening. I know it’s a talking point in terms of how old we are and what happens, but we’ll come to a decision that we’re all happy with, no doubt.”

Howe said Pendlebury and Sidebottom, both headed for the Hall of Fame after remarkable careers, should be “ entitled to write what they want to do” when it comes to their futures.

Jeremy Howe and Brayden Maynard (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

But it’s not a point of discussion between the great mates and teammates.

“I actually haven’t even discussed that,” he said.

“Me, Sidey and Pendles get on like a house on fire, us three old guys, but we don’t have those discussions at all.

“Every individual is a little bit different. The seasons are so long, you’re not sure how it’s going to pan out.

While defender Brayden Maynard has succumbed to a footy injury and could miss up to six weeks, captain Darcy Moore, Lachie Schultz, Sidebottom and Pendlebury are all chances to return for Friday night’s MCG showdown against Hawthorn.

But it’s unclear whether Bobby Hill, who was was a late withdrawal on Saturday because of personal reasons, will return.