Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury open to moving to another club to coach

Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury’s future at the Magpies is uncertain after he revealed he would like to move “away” from the club.

Collingwood is yet to get Scott Pendlebury to resign with the club. Photo: Michael Klein.

Scott Pendlebury’s future with Collingwood is up in the air after the Magpies captain revealed he’d be open to the idea of moving to another club if the opportunity involved coaching.

The 33-year-old is currently uncontracted and is in talks with Collingwood to try and reach a deal to ensure he stays at the club where he started his AFL career.

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Collingwood has offered Pendlebury a one-year contract but he would prefer at least a two-year deal with an option to pursue coaching later down the line.

“We’re trying to work through something at the moment,” Pendlebury told Triple M on Sunday.

“There’s an offer on the table, which came last week.

“If I sign with Collingwood, at this stage it’s a one-year deal (for 2022).

“I’ve been talking to our football club for about a week now and I think something will get done reasonably soon.”

While insisting he “really wants to be a one-club player”, Pendlebury said he has ambitions to become a coach but would ideally like to do his coaching apprenticeship at a club other than Collingwood.

Pendlebury wants to coach at a club other than Collingwood. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“We’re trying to work through the best thing for both parties.

“When you get to this age you are slightly lower on the priority list than the young guys and finding a new coach.

“I do have ambitions to coach, I’ve said that, and I think I’ve said I’d like to step away from our football club (Collingwood) and just get some experience elsewhere because ever since I was 17 all I’ve known is this football club.

“But I’ve been on record saying I really do want to be a one-club player.

“Hopefully we nut something out soon ... but if they want to offer me future coaching gigs for a couple of years’ time, I’ll have a look at it.”

Pendlebury hasn’t played since he suffered a hairline fracture in his leg in round 19 against Port Adelaide and will likely miss a chunk of next season as well.

Pendlebury wants to finish his career at Collingwood. (Photo: Jason McCawley/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

The Magpies finished second last on the ladder after they lost by 38 points to Essendon on Sunday afternoon.

St Kilda great Leigh Montagna believes it would be “soul-destroying” for Collingwood if Pendlebury didn’t finish his career at the club where he won the 2010 premiership.

“It would be soul-destroying if Pendlebury was to leave and we don’t think that would be the case and we hope not,” he told Fox Footy’s First Crack.

“They’ve finished second last and I still think it’s going to get worse before it gets better for the Collingwood football club.

“For me, it’s not an overly enticing list to look at, at the moment. They’ve got a lot of work to do.

“That would be soul destroying. You need to keep your spiritual leader, your best player — probably one of the all-time great players at the club.

“There might be some players they might want to move on but not Scott Pendlebury, you couldn’t do it.”

Originally published as Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury open to moving to another club to coach