By Anna Harrington and Shayne Hope
Scott Pendlebury has confirmed he will play on for a remarkable 20th season in 2025 as the Collingwood great gears up to become just the sixth man to play 400 AFL/VFL games.
Pendlebury, 36, will reach the extraordinary milestone when he lines up against fierce rivals Carlton at the MCG on Saturday night.
Scott Pendlebury has confirmed he’ll play on in 2025.Credit: Getty Images
He can overtake Essendon great Dustin Fletcher (400 games) the following week and will draw level with Kevin Bartlett (403) if he plays all four remaining regular-season games.
After confirming his new contract, Pendlebury is also on track to overtake Shaun Burgoyne (407 games) for the third-most games played next year.
He could potentially leapfrog Michael Tuck (426) next year, but would need to go around again in 2026 to overtake record-holder Brent Harvey (432).
“To be honest, I just want to get through 400 and try and get a win,” Pendlebury told SEN on Monday.
“But I’ve got a contract for next year.
“So it’ll depend on my form and how the team’s going.
“Fly (coach Craig McRae) has been really good with me and the conversations we have ongoing about where he sees me and where I see myself and also planning for the future.
“Because I know that I’m probably on the back three of the golf course, probably the back two.
Pendlebury with the AFL premiership cup.Credit: Eddie Jim
“So if I do happen to get there (break Harvey’s record) it will be because the football club and me think it’s the best thing to do, but it’s not one where I’m going to put myself ahead of the club and try and get there for my own personal goals.”
When pressed on whether his contract was signed for next year, Pendlebury said: “Yeah, it’s all done.
“I think there’s just a few final little details. But yeah, it’s all locked away, so looking forward to playing next year.”
Pendlebury is a two-time premiership player, former Collingwood captain, and five-time best and fairest winner since he was drafted at pick No.5 in 2005.
He said he planned to soak up the occasion of his milestone game and looked forward to celebrating it with his family.
“I will take some time to reflect this week and reach out to all the people that have helped me along the journey to say ‘thank you’,” he said.
“Because as I’ve said probably a number of times, you don’t get here by yourself.”
The Pies are refusing to give up on their premiership defence, with ruck-forward Mason Cox insisting they can still shake up an intense finals race.
Chasing back-to-back flags for the first time since 1935-36, Collingwood snapped a four-match losing streak and kept their hopes alive with a 26-point win over Richmond on Sunday.
Mason Cox says the Pies aren’t done with season 2024.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
However, the task to lock in a top-eight position over the final month of the home-and-away season is an enormous one.
Collingwood sits 12th – one win and a significant percentage gap behind the eighth-placed Western Bulldogs – and is facing top-four opponents Carlton, Sydney (away) and the Brisbane Lions before a last-round contest with Melbourne.
“As long as it’s statistically possible, we’ll definitely give it a fair crack,” Cox said.
“If we just keep doing (what we did against Richmond), we’ll be right. It’s as simple as that.
“We’ll take it one game at a time and it’s such a cliche thing to say, but that’s our mentality now.
“We play Carlton at the MCG and that’s going to be our focus.”
Cox felt Collingwood “got back to our DNA” in lifting their pressure and work rate against Richmond, adding those are prerequisites if the side is to gatecrash the top eight.
Third-year coach McRae’s upbeat outlook has also kept his players’ heads up during a tough stretch of the season.
“We preach positivity and it was good to have quite a bit of that this week,” Cox said.
“That leads to us having a good time out there and when we’re playing well we’re having a smile on our face and really enjoying ourselves.”
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