Collingwood's Scott Pendlebury has been traded to the Gold Coast Suns in exchange for Pick 65 in the 2026 National Draft.
The Suns opted to execute a trade for the champion Magpie so as not to dilute the free agency compensation they will potentially be handed for the loss of Ben King, if a trade cannot be agreed upon with the Hawthorn Hawks.
Pendlebury joins Damien Hardwick's environment on a two-year deal, with a coaching component to be tacked on at the conclusion of that playing contract.
Scott Pendlebury has been traded to the Gold Coast Suns.
In return, we'll receive Pick 65.
Details: https://t.co/L4tNweTvgy pic.twitter.com/Ick3f55NOx
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) October 5, 2026
The former Collingwood skipper will turn 39 in January, and already holds a plethora of AFL records as a direct result of his longevity.
The Suns acquire the V/AFL games record holder in a major coup for their young, underperforming list.
Pendlebury was drafted to Collingwood with the fifth selection in the 2005 National Draft, and amassed a glittering CV in the 21 years on Olympic Boulevard that followed.
Two premierships (an AFL-record 13 years apart), five Copelands as the club's best and fairest player, six All-Australian selections, an AFLCA Champion Player of the Year nod, some 230 Brownlow Medal votes and an exemplary record as the club's longest serving captain - a tenure that netted him the AFLPA's Best Captain award, twice - populate his resumé.
Pendlebury's leadership skills were highly sought after by the Suns, after Noah Anderson's game regressed in his second season as captain of the Sunshine State side.
Support in this facet of the game is said to be one of the primary motivators for the Suns acquiring the coach-in-waiting.
