Pendlebury rules out Selwood-like farewell, but this decider might be his most treasured

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Scott Pendlebury has emphatically ruled out a Joel Selwood-like premiership farewell, but there is another reason this grand final promises to be his most treasured.

The Collingwood champion is preparing for his fourth AFL decider, and hopes to add a second premiership to the 2010 replay triumph over St Kilda, but first with both his children – Jax, six, and Darcy, three – old enough to appreciate the moment and share it with him.

Scott Pendlebury is treasuring this year’s grand final experience.Credit: Luis Ascui

“It’s certainly different this time around. I’ve always looked up to the people who had their kids in the [grand final] parade and stuff like that,” Pendlebury told The Age.

“In 2018, I had my son [Jax] but he was about 14 or 15 months old. The thought turned once we won to how awesome it is to be back on this stage – but also how cool it would be to have my kids, wife [Alex] and family all involved and build some lifelong memories.

“They’re at a good age where they’ll remember it and be excited for it. I’m really looking forward to having them part of the week.”

Saturday’s grand final against the Brisbane Lions will double as Pendlebury’s 383rd game – equalling dual Brownlow medallist Robert Harvey in equal-sixth all-time for VFL/AFL matches – and there appears no end in sight for the five-time Copeland Trophy winner.

The 35-year-old, who re-signed mid-year for a 19th season in 2024, stepped down as captain in December, ending a nine-year, 206-game reign as the Pies’ longest-serving skipper, but that decision served only to refresh him.

Pendlebury is famously one of the AFL’s most fastidious preparers and now has even more time to devote to those endeavours, as well as his family, while he has relished being free of the captaincy burden.

That said, he has made clear to his successor, Darcy Moore, that he is there for support if needed, although he is also self-aware enough to not want to be “constantly leaning over his shoulder”.

“You probably don’t realise the number of hours you commit until you step back from it,” Pendlebury said.

Brayden Maynard, Scott Pendlebury and Jeremy Howe with a couple of young fans who were Magpies team mascots for their preliminary final.Credit: Getty Images

“There are the couple of hours a week in the meetings, then the impromptu meetings that come up [when you are captain] – and I’m not privy to those anymore – so my schedule is much more about myself and getting prepared for the game, or training and things like that.

“I’ve certainly enjoyed going back into that routine a bit more and even getting home earlier. Being able to spend more time with my family and kids is really important.”

Pendlebury rarely, if ever, affords himself the luxury of looking back on a career that is already certain to place him among Collingwood’s greatest players. In his eyes, there is always something more to achieve, but he also still loves the grind required to get there.

“I’ve done, I think, 18 years here, and it’s flown by, but I’ve just enjoyed it,” Pendlebury said.

“The thing with footy that I love the most is the journey from November; out here, sweltering heat, the running sessions, the training, the change rooms, the fun. That’s what makes it really special.

“We’ve got a special group and hopefully, come Saturday night, we’re connected for life because we’ve done the ultimate together. We love being around each other, we’re a really close-knit group, and that’s what makes football so fun. It’s those sorts of things that I love the most.”

The Magpies will have to be at their best this weekend. They have lost six straight matches to Chris Fagan’s red-hot Lions – two of them in Melbourne, at Marvel Stadium – across four seasons, something Pendlebury is painfully aware of.

“They’ve been a tough side for us to beat for a few years, and they were super impressive the other night [against Carlton], after the first quarter,” he said.

“They’ve got strengths all over the ground. There is talent wherever you look, on every line, for that side, so it just comes down to who can execute better on the day … it’s going to be a great battle.”

Regardless of the result, Pendlebury guarantees he will be back for the start of pre-season to do it all again.

The excruciatingly narrow defeats in the 2018 grand final and last year’s preliminary final left no scars, at least not on him, and he remains grateful to be competing again on the last day of the football year.

“The worst years of my career were when you’re not even in the arena at finals time, when you’re not playing because, as a group, you haven’t done the work,” Pendlebury said.

“I’d rather lose a prelim every year by a point, or whatever it is, and at least be there, putting yourself around it and giving yourself a chance, than being in Europe in September.

“I’ve always been one who’s happy to lay it all on the line. This weekend, there’s going to be a side that’s over the moon, going bananas, and there’s going to be a side that’s heartbroken – but both these sides are willing to put it on the line for the ultimate.”

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