Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom in ugly fallout as Collingwood face brutal AFL truth
Collingwood have been told they need to focus on the future after re-signing four veterans.
Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes says Collingwood have backed themselves into a corner with their list management in recent years after announcing new deals for Pies stalwarts Steele Sidebottom, Jeremy Howe, Scott Pendlebury and Will Hoskin-Elliott.
Pendlebury revealed in June that he was playing on next season, with 2025 marking his AFL 20th season. And on Thursday it was announced he, Sidebottom, Howe and Hoskin-Elliott had been given new contracts for next season.
"All four are highly valued and play integral roles for our program both on and off the field," Collingwood's list manager Justin Leppitsch said. "Their leadership and experience are invaluable to our environment and each of them plays a key role in educating and guiding our next generation of young talent."
But the brutal fact Collingwood must come to terms with is that they have a seriously ageing squad and the re-signing of the experienced quartet doesn't address the issue. The Pies have one of the oldest squads in the competition, with 11 players on their list aged over the age of 30 next season. That includes champion trio Pendlebury (37), Howe (35) and Steele Sidebottom (34), Cox (34), Jamie Elliott (33), Brody Mihocek, Tom Mitchell, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Jack Crisp, (all 32), Dan McStay and Darcy Cameron (both 30) next year.
However, Collingwood firmly believes the AFL premiership window remains wide open for them, with recommitting all four of its remaining out-of-contract veterans for 2025 only boosting their chances. However, Cornes is of the belief that they will suffer a mass exodus likely at the end of next season, and will have some tough times ahead due to their limited draft picks and long-term planning.
"They may not have had another option (but to re-sign their ageing stars). They’re not blessed with a number of draft picks. They’re going to struggle to replenish the list this year,” Cornes said on SEN’s Sportsday on Friday. "So they’d probably go ‘okay, Sidebottom played some good footy at the end of the year’, they’d take some confidence out of that. What a consistent star he has been.
"I’m not certain on Mason Cox, I think they probably need to move past him from what I saw this year. I’m not sure about Tom Mitchell and whether he can get back and be a part of this midfield. But everyone else is in reasonable form. Jeremy Howe finished the season in reasonable form. They’re just going to have to try and stagger the retirements so you don’t lose nine at once."
Collingwood told they must start planning for the future
Collingwood holds picks 32, 48 and 50 in this year’s draft as things stand, given they traded their first-round pick to Fremantle for Lachie Schultz last year. Earlier this year Magpies president Jeff Browne told the Herald Sun the club would continue to attempt to continue their flag dominance by topping up the squad at the trade table. They did that successfully ahead of their 2023 flag run adding McStay, Mitchell, Bobby Hill and Billy Frampton.
But with their 2024 season a massive disappointment and with tough times on the horizon, St Kilda great Leigh Montagna has warned them they need to start looking at the bigger picture ASAP. “The chat now is about the bigger picture and if age is starting to catch up to them,” Montagna said on Fox Footy’s The First Crack last month.
“It was lauded as one of the oldest premiership teams of all time last year … it’s starting to become alarming, so there’s got to be some big decisions at the football club. How many of those 11 players can they go on with? How many do they have to start moving past? Whether it’s not keeping them on the list or not playing them in the senior team? And try and get some more youth in.
“This has been a year where yes, they’ve had a lot go wrong, but they’ve got the bigger picture in mind. They have gone on record to say they are going to continue to trade in and bring in players for the now – they’re not necessarily wanting to rebuild.”
Collingwood's youth ranks called into question
Montagna also believes not only are the Pies an ageing squad but they also lack young talent away from star youngster Nick Daicos. The Pies have an incredibly inexperienced group aged 25 or younger at the club, with only Isaac Quaynor, Hill (both 25), Beau McCreery, Charlie Dean (both 24) Reef McInnes, Fin Macrae (both 23), Daicos, Ned Long (22), Harvey Harrison (all 22) exposed at the top level.
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“This is all they’ve really got that we’ve seen, so there’s not a lot there ... we’re really clutching, there’s a handful of players 25 and under,” Montagna added. “So they’re really relying on these guys between 26 and the over 30s. The question is how far can they take them? Do they have to continue to top up and try and squeeze out another one or two premierships? They’ve won their flag, so they can be happy.
“(But) I think with that little talent under the age of 25, they have to start getting some drafting in at some stage. They can try and squeeze out and win one more premiership, but they’re going to be in a hole for a long time."
AFL week one finals schedule:
Second qualifying final: Port Adelaide v Geelong - Thursday September 5, Adelaide Oval, 7.40pm
Second elimination final: Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn - Friday September 6, MCG, 7.40pm
First qualifying final: Sydney v GWS - Saturday September 7, SCG, 3.20pm
First elimination final: Brisbane Lions v Carlton - Saturday September 7, Gabba, 7.30pm
