AFL 2025: Scott Pendlebury says Collingwood ‘all in’ on premiership tilt

Finding an extra yard of pace at 36 years old? It sounds far-fetched, but Scott Pendlebury is still looking for a way to improve as Collingwood goes “all in” on his 20th season.

The Magpies games record holder was experimenting with “a few different things” including speed training as he said he was open to performing any on-field role required in 2025.

Pendlebury hit the track on Monday with most of Collingwood’s list, including recruits Dan Houston and Harry Perryman along with draftees Joel Cochran, Charlie West and Will Hayes.

Powerful midfielder Jordan De Goey returned from his 10-day trip to Qatar with conditioning staff and ran laps at Olympic Park earlier in the day, but did not participate in the team session.

Pendlebury said he was eager to work on his own burst of speed as he enjoyed the chance to enter the pre-season with a clean bill of health.

Surgery on his nose in the previous off-season had prevented him from doing his own training in between the 2023 premiership and the Pies’ pre-season.

“I try to find little things to keep me fresh – new ideas, new challenges. I’ve tried to get quicker – I don’t know if you’ve picked that up today … I thought I might be quicker,” he said with a grin.

“But I’m always trying to add just little bits to my game … the full bill of health and being able to train straight away, you can do some different stuff.”

The Magpies were jumped in the first three weeks of 2024 after entering on the back of their shortest pre-season in years following the flag triumph.

Pendlebury would prefer to have played finals, but said they could use the longer preparation to their advantage.

“We’ll try and use all those extra weeks to our advantage. Give me the choice, I’d rather be in 2023 coming off a flag and then you’ve got to get prepped again,” he said.

“But you do notice how quickly that comes around, especially playing ‘round zero’ – it sort of just rolls in and before you know it, you’re straight back in.

“We’re back now and some other clubs have still got two weeks off, so any sort of advantage we can get, we’re looking forward now to 2025.”

With Craig McRae handing midfield coach and senior assistant Hayden Skipworth the reins to the pre-season program, Pendlebury has taken on more responsibility in sessions with the Pies’ midfield group.

But he was open to playing in defence or at half-forward next season with Perryman and Houston to create a squeeze on spots.

“I think the whole group with Harry (Perryman) and Dan (Houston) coming in – (both) halfback-midfielders, there will be a few of us who get asked to throw around (between) halfback, midfield, wing, half-forward, wherever it is,” Pendlebury said.

“I think Fly (McRae) has spoken about and shown with our group, he likes to throw guys around.

“So I think with those two boys coming in, not just for me or Nick (Daicos) or Jordy (De Goey), but it just gives us great depth and flexibility.

“If we need to change something up, we’ve got a number of guys with different dynamics that can go through different spots.”

Veteran teammate Steele Sidebottom received the “last dance” question the previous week, and Pendlebury had the same answer when asked if 2025 would be all or nothing for the Magpies’ ageing core.

“Not really, to be honest. The way I’ve looked at every year is in isolation … all eyes on the prize in 2025 for us, and it was no different in 2023,” he said.

“For us, it’s all in on 2025, and see how good we can be.”