SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 09: Scott Pendlebury of the Magpies warms up before the round 16 AFL match between the Greater Western Sydney Giants and the Collingwood Magpies at Spotless Stadium on July 9, 2016 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury has revealed the top five opponents he's loved playing against since he was drafted in 2005.
On the Jock and Journo Podcast alongside Herald Sun journalist Jay Clark, Pendlebury was asked about which players he enjoyed playing against, following comments last week about Joel Selwood's influence in Geelong's win over St Kilda.
"As a midfielder, one day against Port Adelaide we tagged him and he had 18 clearances, games like that stand out and he was so quick.
"He's such a good clearance player, he's impossible to tackle, he's strong, he's still quick now and him and Brendon Lade at Port Adelaide were unbelievable, and he was a guy that I would ask to play on, but the coach would say 'no you can't, because he would destroy you'."
"I've never really played on Gaz, and I've never really wanted to play on Gaz. It's probably the same with him and Shaun Burgyone, I've never really played much time on either guy, but with Gaz, some games I've played and he's turned in a blinder, you just think is this guy taking the mickey out of the game of football, because the ball actually talks to him.
"I reckon he's got it on a string, I've been on the end of some of his finest games, where he's absolutely destroyed Collingwood, and they really stick out in your mind those games."
"He was the guy that sort of didn't get much credit at all, and I thought he was their best two-way player in their powerhouse teams.
"I played on him a lot of times when I played Geelong, and he was a physically imposing guy, he was 6 ft 3, he could run like the wind, use the footy well, he was hard and tough and all those things, and I used to love any chance I could to play on him, because I respected the way he played footy."
"He was just a guy that I thought was probably similar to my athletic abilities, where you're not relying on breakaway speed of physically dominating opponents, I just thought he was super smart, good runner, clean, every time he got it he did something with it.
"I used to watch him all the time in my first few years, I'd go to games whenever Brisbane played in Melbourne and watch him, I learnt so much off him, and when I got the chance in the midfield I'd always ask to play on him."
"Lenny Hayes was my favourite all-time, every time we played St Kilda I'd beg 'can I play on him, please'."
"I just loved the way he played footy, I thought he was a great offensive player but he was also very accountable running the other way."