Scott Pendlebury to leave Collingwood for Gold Coast Suns in 2027
Scott Pendlebury, the AFL's all-time games record holder and a Collingwood legend, will finish his playing career at the Gold Coast Suns after Collingwood chose not to offer him a new contract.
Pendlebury's manager Anthony Panozzo confirmed the move, which will see the 38-year-old join the Suns as an unrestricted free agent when the AFL's free agency period opens on October 2. ABC News
The deal is a four-year arrangement. Pendlebury will play in a hybrid on-field and coaching role for two seasons before transitioning into a full-time assistant coach position for a further two years. The structure mirrors the path taken by former Hawthorn champion Luke Hodge, who joined Brisbane in 2018 as a player-coach and helped steer a young Lions squad that has since won two premierships from three grand final appearances.
For Pendlebury, the move closes a Collingwood chapter that few players in the game's history can match. Across 442 games in the black and white, he won two premierships, claimed the Norm Smith Medal (awarded to the best player in a grand final), and earned six All-Australian selections. He overtook Brent Harvey's long-standing V/AFL games record earlier this season when he ran out for his 433rd match. Collingwood FC
The exit was not Pendlebury's preference. Collingwood did not table a new contract, leaving the veteran to explore his options elsewhere. As recently as July, Pendlebury said he was unsure whether he would play on in 2027 and would decide at season's end. AFL.com.au Richmond had also been suggested as a potential suitor, but Gold Coast's offer of a post-playing future tipped the balance.
The farewell at Collingwood was bittersweet. Pendlebury strained his hamstring in the final round of the regular season and was denied a finals send-off, missing Collingwood's wildcard loss to the Western Bulldogs. He had been due to play game No. 442 against Brisbane on a Friday night in late August, a fixture that instead became one of his last in black and white.
Collingwood will formally congratulate Pendlebury and announce his departure once the free agency deal is confirmed. Herald Sun
For Gold Coast, the appeal is straightforward. A young list — the Suns have never played finals since entering the competition in 2011 — gets a player who has seen it all and a coach-in-waiting who can teach it. The Hodge model worked in Brisbane. Gold Coast are betting it can work again.
