| Scott Pendlebury | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Pendlebury playing for Collingwood in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Scott Pendlebury | ||
| Nicknames | Pendles,[1] Dippa[2][3] | ||
| Born | (1988-01-07)7 January 1988 (age 38) Sale,Victoria | ||
| Original team | Gippsland Power (TAC Cup) | ||
| Draft | No. 5,2005 national draft | ||
| Debut | Round 10, 2006,Collingwood vs.Brisbane Lions, at theMelbourne Cricket Ground | ||
| Height | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Weight | 86 kg (190 lb) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Collingwood | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2006– | Collingwood | 425 (204) | |
| Representative team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| 2008, 2020 | Victoria | 2 (0) | |
| 2008–2017 | Australia | 3 (0) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2025 season. 2 Representative statistics correct as of 2020. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources:AFL Tables,AustralianFootball.com | |||
Scott Pendlebury (born 7 January 1988) is a professionalAustralian rules footballer playing for theCollingwood Football Club in theAustralian Football League (AFL). He served asCollingwood captain from 2014 to 2022. Pendlebury is a dualpremiership player, also winning theNorm Smith Medal as best on ground in the2010 grand final replay, and was theAFLCA champion player of the year in 2013. He is a six-timeAll-Australian and five-timeCopeland Trophy winner, and is theCollingwood games record holder with 425 games. Pendlebury is the league record holder for disposals, handballs and tackles,[4] and also has the mostBrownlow Medal votes of any player who has not won the award.[5]
Originally fromSale in the Gippsland Region of Victoria, Pendlebury began his sporting career playing basketball and accepted a scholarship to theAustralian Institute of Sport inCanberra; however, after three weeks at the AIS, he decided to quit the under-18s squad and return to Victoria to pursue representative football with the Gippsland Power in theTAC Cup. Pendlebury's vacated place in the AIS squad was taken byPatty Mills, who went on to win an NBA Championship in 2014 with theSan Antonio Spurs.[6] Growing up, Pendlebury supported theMelbourne Football Club.[7]
Pendlebury was selected for the 2005 under-18 Vic Country team. He played two of the three games and had an average of 17 possessions.[citation needed]
He was selected to play for eventual 2005TAC Cup premiers Gippsland Power. He played 19 games, kicked 11 goals and averaged 22 possessions a game.[8]Collingwood became aware of Pendlebury after Gippsland Power manager Peter Francis recommended both Pendlebury and his older brother Kristopher.[9] Collingwood drafted Scott Pendlebury with pick five in the2005 AFL draft, and Collingwood's number two pick overall, whereas Kris did not play in the AFL but did captain the Collingwood side in theVictorian Football League.[10]
Pendlebury's 2006 pre-season was hampered byglandular fever, but he made a successful comeback with Collingwood's VFL affiliate, Williamstown. He made hisAFL debut in Round 10 against theBrisbane Lions, and became part of a select group of footballers known for kicking their first goal with their first kick in league football.[11] He played eight more games in the 2006 season.[citation needed]
Pendlebury switched to the number 10 guernsey previously worn byBlake Caracella, and gave the number 16 guernsey to newcomerNathan Brown. Following his nine games in 2006, Pendlebury broke into the Collingwood midfield on a regular basis, averaging 18 disposals a game before he was nominated for theNAB Rising Star in Round 4. He collected a season-high 26 possessions in the 2007 Semi-Final against the West Coast Eagles in Perth, and kicked a crucial goal during extra time.[12]
Throughout the 2007 season, he was compared withGeelong rookie midfielderJoel Selwood.[by whom?] Both were close favourites for the 2007 NAB Rising Star with Selwood eventually winning by seven votes.[13]
Pendlebury also placed second in the 2007Copeland Trophy behindTravis Cloke.[citation needed]
Pendlebury was voted into Collingwood's five-man leadership group as deputy vice-captain preceding the 2008 season.[citation needed]
Highlights of Pendlebury's season included 33 disposals againstEssendon on ANZAC Day and placing a close second behindPaul Medhurst for the Anzac Day medal.[citation needed]
On 9 May 2008, Pendlebury was selected in the Victorian Squad for the AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match, with teammatesJosh Fraser andHeath Shaw. Despite playing only half of the match, he collected 19 disposals with a 79% efficiency rating.[14]
Pendlebury was an important factor in Collingwood's 86-point victory over reigning premiersGeelong.[15]
Pendlebury played his 50th game on 9 August 2008 against St Kilda in Round 19. He finished third in Collingwood's 2008 Best and Fairest count.[citation needed]
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Pendlebury became more prominent in 2009. He collected a career high 39 disposals againstMelbourne Football Club on the Queens Birthday and won the Women's Round medal. He had a career high 22 kicks against theWest Coast Eagles and another career high 20 handballs against theRichmond Football Club. Despite missing a few games due to injuries, he was still shortlisted for selection as an All-Australian. He had an average of 26 disposals a game (13 kicks and 13 handballs)and averaged 2 goals per 5 games. His season ended with a cracked fibula bone injury in the Qualifying final.
Pendlebury polled 13 votes in the2009 Brownlow Medal, the top ranked Collingwood player.
In 2010 Pendlebury won a spot in theAll-Australian team[16] and won the ANZAC Medal. He polled 21 votes in the2010 Brownlow Medal, to finish in fourth position.[17] He won the 2010 Norm Smith medal when Collingwood won the premiership.
In 2011 Pendlebury won his second ANZAC Day Medal as best-on-ground in Collingwood's 30-point win overEssendon.[18] Three weeks later, againstGeelong, he was controversially denied a goal from a free kick that would have won Collingwood the game. Ultimately, the Magpies lost by three points.[19]
He capped off the year, winning theCopeland Trophy for the best and fairest player at Collingwood, and the Bob Rose Trophy for being the best Collingwood player throughout the finals.[20]
Inthe Brownlow he polled 24 votes to finish equal third behind winnerDane Swan,Sam Mitchell (disqualified) andNick Dal Santo.[citation needed]
Pendlebury finished the season with 15 Brownlow votes, down on his 24 from the previous year and helped the Magpies to a Preliminary Final, where they eventually lost to the Sydney Swans. He finished second in theCopeland Trophy to winnerDayne Beams and in front of three-time championDane Swan. He was also included in the All Australian for the 3rd year running alongside teammates Swan and Dayne Beams.[citation needed]
| This section of abiography of a living persondoes notinclude anyreferences or sources. Please help by addingreliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourcedmust be removed immediately, especially if potentiallylibelous or harmful.(April 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Pendlebury improved on his 2012 season, having arguably his best and most consistent season to date. Already touted as future captain of theCollingwood Football Club, Pendlebury helped lead the club brilliantly in 2013 and although Collingwood lost the Elimination final loss to Port Adelaide, Pendlebury won his secondCopeland Trophy beating former championDane Swan. He also had 21 votes in the Brownlow, only losing out to teammate Dane Swan for the highest votes for the Magpies. Pendlebury once again was included in the All Australian Squad being named on the wing. This was his fourth consecutive inclusion in the team.
On 29 January, Pendlebury was appointed as captain replacing Nick Maxwell.[21] Pendlebury has thrived as captain having one of his best seasons.
At the end of the season, Pendlebury was selected for the fifth consecutive time as part of the All Australian team[22] and was awarded theLou Richards Medal. He also won his thirdCopeland Trophy, the Magpie Army Player of the Year award and the Gavin Brown Award.[23]
During the 2015Copeland Trophy event,Eddie McGuire announced that Pendlebury had re-signed with Collingwood until the end of 2020. Pendlebury said at the event: "The direction the club is taking really excites me. We have a solid group of young players who have got a taste of senior footy and we have the right program and people in place to take this group to the next level. I'm proud to captain this club and want to be part of what the future holds."[24] The same night, he won his third consecutive Copeland Trophy and fourth overall.[25]
Pendlebury battled injury early in the season as well as filled in as a half-back instead of his regular role in the midfield; despite this, he maintained his consistency. His professionalism and inspiration prompted his peers to vote for him as the winner of the Gavin Brown Award for demonstrating the team values throughout the season.[26] He was further rewarded with his fourth consecutive Copeland Trophy and fifth overall.[27][28]
Pendlebury had a consistent 2017 season until he sustained a broken finger in Round 17 against theGold Coast Suns. He had successful surgery on the finger, and was hopeful to return the next week, but his return was delayed for a month and it was said to be unlikely that he would play again until Round 22 or 23. However, did not return again for the season. In the 2017 season, he averaged a career high tackles per game (6.4).[citation needed]
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In round 18 of the 2020 season, he broke the Collingwood record for most VFL/AFL games played, as well as most games as captain.[29]
Pendlebury resigned his post as captain of Collingwood after the2022 AFL season.[30] In Round 17 of the2023 AFL season, Pendlebury broke the VFL/AFL all-time disposal record, surpassingRobert Harvey.[31][32][33][34]
As a premiership player in the2023 AFL Grand Final, Pendlebury broke his 13-year-long premiership drought, alongsideSteele Sidebottom, which is a league record between premierships.[citation needed] This game also saw Pendlebury draw level withGordon Coventry for the most AFL finals played atCollingwood, with 31 apiece.[35]
In 2024, Pendlebury became the first VFL/AFL player to reach 10,000 disposals. In round 21 of the2024 AFL season, in Collingwood's game against Carlton, Pendlebury became the sixth player in VFL/AFL history toplay 400 games.[36][37]
Pendlebury was born and raised inSale, Victoria. He attendedCatholic College Sale. He played alongside former Collingwood playersDale Thomas,Tyson Goldsack, andBrent Macaffer at theGippsland Power before all getting drafted to Collingwood. He has two brothers who have both played football in theVictorian Football League (VFL). Older brother Kris has won the Joseph Wren Memorial Trophy and captained theCollingwood VFL Football Club and younger brother Ryan has played for three teams in the VFL.[38] Scott Pendlebury married his long-term girlfriend, Alex Pendlebury (née Davis), in 2016. The couple's first son was born in 2017,[39] and they welcomed a daughter in November 2019.[40]
Updated to the end of the 2025 season.[41]
G | Goals | K | Kicks | D | Disposals | T | Tackles |
B | Behinds | H | Handballs | M | Marks | ||
# | Played in that season's premiership team |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
| 2006 | Collingwood | 16 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 67 | 51 | 118 | 46 | 25 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 7.4 | 5.7 | 13.1 | 5.1 | 2.8 | 0 |
| 2007 | Collingwood | 10 | 23 | 20 | 8 | 238 | 197 | 435 | 124 | 75 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 10.3 | 8.6 | 18.9 | 5.4 | 3.3 | 1 |
| 2008 | Collingwood | 10 | 23 | 11 | 10 | 283 | 235 | 518 | 113 | 77 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 12.3 | 10.2 | 22.5 | 4.9 | 3.3 | 7 |
| 2009 | Collingwood | 10 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 271 | 271 | 542 | 105 | 69 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 25.8 | 5.0 | 3.3 | 13 |
| 2010# | Collingwood | 10 | 26 | 17 | 13 | 339 | 352 | 691 | 116 | 144 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 13.0 | 13.5 | 26.6 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 21 |
| 2011 | Collingwood | 10 | 25 | 24 | 12 | 385 | 357 | 742 | 106 | 150 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 15.4 | 14.3 | 29.7 | 4.2 | 6.0 | 24 |
| 2012 | Collingwood | 10 | 21 | 11 | 8 | 316 | 303 | 619 | 82 | 115 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 15.0 | 14.4 | 29.5 | 3.9 | 5.5 | 15 |
| 2013 | Collingwood | 10 | 23 | 18 | 9 | 329 | 359 | 688 | 88 | 119 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 14.3 | 15.6 | 29.9 | 3.8 | 5.2 | 21 |
| 2014 | Collingwood | 10 | 21 | 13 | 10 | 292 | 304 | 596 | 75 | 116 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 13.9 | 14.5 | 28.4 | 3.6 | 5.5 | 16 |
| 2015 | Collingwood | 10 | 22 | 15 | 8 | 321 | 314 | 635 | 97 | 112 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 14.6 | 14.3 | 28.9 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 15 |
| 2016 | Collingwood | 10 | 22 | 11 | 7 | 289 | 341 | 630 | 78 | 123 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 13.1 | 15.5 | 28.6 | 3.5 | 5.6 | 17 |
| 2017 | Collingwood | 10 | 16 | 5 | 7 | 217 | 233 | 450 | 58 | 103 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 13.6 | 14.6 | 28.1 | 3.6 | 6.4 | 15 |
| 2018 | Collingwood | 10 | 25 | 9 | 5 | 294 | 376 | 670 | 60 | 147 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 11.8 | 15.0 | 26.8 | 2.4 | 5.9 | 15 |
| 2019 | Collingwood | 10 | 24 | 12 | 8 | 345 | 310 | 655 | 105 | 112 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 14.4 | 12.9 | 27.3 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 14 |
| 2020[a] | Collingwood | 10 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 176 | 179 | 355 | 38 | 46 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 11.7 | 11.9 | 23.7 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 13 |
| 2021 | Collingwood | 10 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 197 | 220 | 417 | 67 | 69 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 10.9 | 12.2 | 23.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 6 |
| 2022 | Collingwood | 10 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 274 | 281 | 555 | 74 | 112 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 11.4 | 11.7 | 23.1 | 3.1 | 4.7 | 2 |
| 2023# | Collingwood | 10 | 25 | 9 | 3 | 305 | 266 | 571 | 89 | 108 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 12.2 | 10.6 | 22.8 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 6 |
| 2024 | Collingwood | 10 | 20 | 7 | 4 | 220 | 194 | 414 | 62 | 79 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 20.7 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 2 |
| 2025 | Collingwood | 10 | 22 | 3 | 5 | 234 | 252 | 486 | 89 | 86 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 10.6 | 11.5 | 22.1 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 2 |
| Career | 425 | 204 | 128 | 5392 | 5395 | 10787 | 1672 | 1987 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 25.4 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 225 | ||
Notes
Team
Individual
 | ||
Coach:Malthouse | ||