Great floored by Suns ‘masterstroke’ that played out in secret
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Former Western Bulldogs star Nathan Brown has labelled Gold Coast’s acquisition of Scott Pendlebury a “masterstroke” for a club lacking leadership.
The Suns had a disappointing 2026 season, losing eight of their last 10 games to finish 13th, after aiming to contend for a premiership.
Scott Pendlebury in action. AFL Photos
They were marred by issues across the season. Star Christian Petracca and young midfielder Leo Lombard getting in a verbal stoush on the field, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Mac Andrew’s poor look leaving a disabled toilet cubicle together at State of Origin and coach Damien Hardwick’s heavy criticism of his team throughout the year saw him throw in the towel with a month to play.
Star midfielder Noah Anderson is one of the youngest captains in the competition, and the Suns are blessed with a plethora of talent under the age of 25, thanks to their draft academy, but the overall maturity of the group has been questioned because of it.
Brown believes the 38-year-old Pendlebury can become the locker-room voice Gold Coast desperately needs.
“Collingwood people might not be happy with it, but it’s a masterstroke from the Suns,” Brown told Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.
“They absolutely need Scott Pendlebury. Their leadership this year has been questioned multiple times.
“Look, he might not be the player they expect. He might not play 20 games, but what he will bring off the field, and the fact that the club was able to keep this whole thing quiet is big as well.”
Pendlebury will sign a four-year deal with Gold Coast. Two as a player, followed by two as an assistant coach under Hardwick.
On Saturday, the dual premiership player confirmed his desire to one day be a senior coach, and he has already begun that pathway, helping coach school footy in Victoria at Haileybury College under Essendon great Matthew Lloyd.
Lloyd believes Pendlebury will be a great coach one day.
“He has a great temperament as a coach, and he’s so clear in his messaging. It’s going to be a big loss for us,” Lloyd said.
“That’s his biggest strength, so wherever he’s coaching, whether it’s Gold Coast, does he take over from Hardwick in four or five years, or does he come back and coach Collingwood?”
The two-year extension could allow Pendlebury to become just the third player in V/AFL history to play into his 40s.
Essendon legend Dustin Fletcher is the only modern player to do so during the final year of his career in 2015, but back in 1903, Vic Cumberland played at the age of 43 for St Kilda.
Former Adelaide captain Rory Sloane has come around to the idea of players like Pendlebury remaining in the game as long as they can.
“If you would have asked me two years ago, I would’ve said this was a bad idea (for Pendlebury), but the longer I’ve been out of the game I think players should maximise their time in the game,” Sloane said.
“I think it’s great for Pendlebury, it’s great for Gold Coast, it’s great for footy in south-east Queensland.
“There’s no damage done to his legacy at Collingwood, and it’s good for Collingwood. If they get Lachie Neale, they can’t play both. They need more speed in that midfield.”
The Suns confirmed on Saturday that Pendlebury would be joining the club as an unrestricted free agent, but said they would not be commenting further to give the Magpies a chance to celebrate the departing legend.
Collingwood won’t get the chance to do so on the field, after the Western Bulldogs ended their season in Friday night’s Wildcard game.
The Magpies and Bulldogs set up a guard of honour to farewell Steele Sidebottom, but Pendlebury opted to allow his teammate to have the moment in the spotlight and instead announced his departure the following morning.
