In the 280 games between Scott Pendlebury’s first premiership in 2010 and Grand Final day in 2023, the Collingwood legend achieved just about it all.
He won five Club Best and Fairest trophies throughout that period, made the All-Australian side five times, added two more Anzac Day Medals to his cabinet, and was Pies’ captain for nine seasons too.
But as he came back onto the field in the early stages of the fourth quarter on the last day in September, there wasn’t anything that was going to get in the way of the thing he hadn’t secured - that elusive second premiership.
“’Do whatever it takes’,” is what Pendlebury recalls thinking.
“I remember having that thought ‘do not let this go, this is your chance, whatever it takes do whatever you have to do’.
“That’s with or without the ball, whatever I have to do, do it.
“I’ll look back and never regret doing it and that mentality was in me at that point of time because sometimes I can get a bit more analytical thinking about the Xs and Os but I was just ready.”
It meant an outpouring of emotion on the final siren, with 13 years of toil finally coming to the fore.
“It was everything I have worked for, it just felt like validation at that moment, like ‘this is why we’ve worked as hard as we’ve worked in the pre-seasons and just to be part of a group now that’s been connected for life’. It was just amazing,” he said.
“I don’t even really know what I was thinking when the siren went, a whole range of emotions in relief, joy, excitement, family, friends so it’s obviously very special.”
Season 2023 was once again full of highs for the 35-year-old.
He broke the all-time record for disposals in the history of the competition, jumped to outright fifth all-time in career Brownlow votes and finished in the Copeland top five once again.
It’s all been able to happen after the former captain immediately struck a relationship with Craig McRae upon the coach arriving at the Club.
Putting any doubts of transitioning the experienced Pendlebury out of the team to bed, McRae instead hatched a plan to extend the midfielder’s greatness.
“At 33 he comes in and one of the first things we spoke about is his wanted to extend my career and give me longevity,” Pendlebury said.
“When a coach says that it’s great to hear, it’s not ‘I want to tip you out because you’re 33’.
“I knew he’d back me in if I was going to play good footy and from that moment he’s just been such a special coach in terms of how he connected the whole football club.
“A lot of tension fell out of the place because football is supposed to be fun and have joy.”
McRae’s influence has also been crucial for Pendlebury who has been open about his desire to coach post career.
Constantly learning, the now two-time premiership player has a lot to draw on when that time comes.
“As someone who wants to coach one day as well seeing someone do this it’s been so cool to learn,” he said.
“He’s just brought so much fun to it and I think you often see coaches and it seems really stressful and everyone thinks you’d hate to do that job.
“He looks like a guy that loves the job, he’s always smiling and I’m sure there’s times where it’s stressful and long hours and things like that but he really does make it fun for us players and he drives really high standards as well.”
So Pendlebury’s emphasis is now on connection.
Talent and skills are handy, but the 383-game star says it’s the belief in the group that got the team to where they are today.
“We weren’t the most talented list in the AFL but we were a very connected team, we celebrated everything and we had a lot of fun and we believed in each other,” he said.
“When you get that confidence, and you get that belief I think that’s as important as talent.”
Scott Pendlebury’s 2023 achievements:
- Broke the all-time VFL/AFL record for disposals
- Won second premiership for Collingwood
- Ranked #3 at Collingwood for tackles
- Equalled Gordon Coventry’s record for finals played for Collingwood with 31
- 15th consecutive Top 5 Best & Fairest finish
