By Jake Niall
Collingwood’s two-time premiership great Steele Sidebottom is poised to play on in 2025, with the Magpies in discussions with his management over a new deal.
The decision to offer Sidebottom a contract – which will see his career stretch into a 17th AFL season – means all nine of Collingwood’s 30-and-over players are slated to continue playing in 2025.
Steele Sidebottom is poised to continue his AFL career into 2025.Credit: AFL Photos
Talks have started between Collingwood and Sidebottom’s management on a one-year deal, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Collingwood’s commitment to Sidebottom, 33, follows an agreement with his decorated long-time teammate and ex-skipper Scott Pendlebury, who will play on into his 20th season, having already played a club-record 401 games.
Vice captain Jeremy Howe, another veteran who entered 2024 without a contract, triggered a contract extension by playing against the Swans last Friday in his 250th game.
Collingwood are also in negotiations over a 2025 contract for the versatile Will Hoskin-Elliott, 30, who has had one of his best seasons this year playing a mix of roles at both ends and on the wing.
Veterans Jack Crisp (30), Jamie Elliott (32 next week), Mason Cox (33), Brody Mihocek (31) and Tom Mitchell (31), all have contracts for 2025 and would play next year, barring any unexpected developments. Cox, Mihocek and Mitchell have had injury-wracked seasons this year, while Elliott has overcome a vascular issue that sidelined him for several games.
The decision to retain Sidebottom can be read as a sign that Collingwood believe they can be in the mix for finals and the flag in 2025, despite a fall from the 2023 to their current position out of the eight.
Scott Pendlebury was chaired off the ground after his 400th game by Jeremy Howe and Steele Sidebottom.Credit: AFL Photos
It also represents a postponement of a large turnover in the playing list, which appears certain after 2025 given there are several veterans whose contracts expire at the end of next year.
Sidebottom, a member of both the 2010 premiership team and last year’s flag side, has played 20 of 22 matches this year. Primarily a wingman in his later years, he was successfully deployed as a tagger on Sydney gun Errol Gulden on Friday night. He has averaged nearly 18 disposals this year, compared to a career average of 23.3.
Collingwood have one of the largest contingent of 30-plus players in the competition. Geelong have 11 players who are 30 or older, while the Tigers have 10 on the list in that category. The Collingwood hierarchy has indicated that they will rely on a mix of drafting, free agency and trading over the next few years and will not be as pure in sticking to the national draft as some clubs.
Geelong’s Tom Hawkins is retiring this year and others may follow, while Richmond, which is in the early stages of a rebuild, have lost champion Dustin Martin to retirement and are likely to see others exit in the upcoming post-season - potentially including the trading of Liam Baker to a Perth club - as they make room for a raft of players arriving via the national draft.
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