Our veteran quandary

[derkd]

For mine, the worry is this:

Injuries: so far almost all of the 30+ brigade have had injuries this year (bar the remarkable Crisp). Injuries in older players and more likely to be reoccurring and longer.

The age of our list will only be getting older I am note sure what our age profile will be next year, but I shudder to think.

As others have said, 2025 could see 8 or 9 players possibly all retiring at once. Hit a giant brick wall all at once....so what is the plan? Are many of these old guys playing VFL? In that instance, what is the point? If they are planning on playing them in the AFL what does this mean for younger players? And worse are they going to be dumped into the big time in 2026, when all these older guys start to retire???

The reason most sides ease veterans out, is so you are not left with a giant hole in the list all at once!

It is also (for mine) a bit depressing watching a team With this many older guys playing, where is the excitement of the next young generation Collingwood. Players like Pendles yes great watching him...he is a generation talent. I just don't see any of these older guys taking us up the ladder again...it didn't work this year...I am fairly sure it won't get any better next year

[Presti35]

I say, welcome back Sidey!

[pieboy]

^
I think that half of our veterans will retire next year and the other half in 2026. Many of our veterans already had contracts for next year, so I think there will be no triggers on contracts for next year so they can make a decision on which veterans finish in 2025 and which veterans finishes in 2026

[SLORT]

Howey once again was among our best against Brissy (equal second on Supercoach points with Naicos), and Sidey seems to have found his feet as a run-with. I reckon if Sidey does another job next week on all-chicken-no-dinner Langdon (who had a blinder on the Gold Coast) then no one should begrudge him another year in playing that role.

[RudeBoy]

Sidey was one of our best 3 players yesterday. Just saying.

[Pies4shaw]

A complete list of all Collingwood players who have had 34 or more disposals in at least one game in 2024:

Nick Daicos
Steele Sidebottom

Just saying.

[Pies2016]

The key to all these guys going around again in 2025, is both managing them physically and giving them less game day responsibilities wherever possible. I’m sure part of the plan in 2024 was to do exactly that but the injuries alone didn’t allow for the likes of Sidey, Pendles, Howe to be managed as the club would have ideally liked. Pendles missed a chunk with the arm but Sidey in particular had a workload that I imagine exceeded what the club had originally planned.
We need to find a way to have both Sidey and Pendles spend more time as either general defenders or forwards, so as to preserve their bodies a bit longer in 2025. Having said that, should the injury curse strike again in 2025, then all the above would go to shit very quickly anyway.

[piedys]

I reckon if Sidey does another job next week on all-chicken-no-dinner Langdon (who had a blinder on the Gold Coast) then no one should begrudge him another year in playing that role.

Wasn't it: all-duck-no-dinner Langdon? Stupid saying anyhoo.

They seem to match up well on each other, and should certainly be worth the watch on friday.

[RudeBoy]

There, I've said it. Both Pendles and Sidey should retire. Not because they each can't still play good football, but they no longer are great players, and are now preventing us developing younger, potentially better, midfield players like Allan and DeMattia. Once we get JDG and possibly Mitchell (though I'd prefer he hang up his boots too) back, with Nick Daicos, there will be no room for other young midfielders, if we retain Pendles and Sidey, unless they are prepared to play a lot in the VFL or as a sub.

Last night I saw the future, with Allan throwing his body into packs and getting lightning hand-passes out to others. I was excited as I have been about a new player for a long, long time. If we continue playing Pendles and sidey for another year, it will severely restrict the development of our next generation of midfielders who are ready NOW.

[daics aka the ruckman]

Somewhat agree. Hanging on to what we have, and seeing it decline is sad. Would rather put the game time into the younger players.
Sidebottom has found a particular niche as a direct opponent to some players but not every team will have this match up.
Pendles is looking tired. But it is the end of the season.

[qldmagpie67]

Rude I don’t disagree totally but I think only 1 of them can play each week
Pendles is slowing quickly and knowing he’s becoming more susceptible to injury isn’t helping him.
He’s still smart enough to get into good positions but his legs are shot

Sidey has had to be reinvented the second half of the season. He was a complete bust on the wing, moved to HBF without much success then into the middle which he isn’t suited to but then got a run with role (not a tag role) which he did quite well.
He’s never had speed but can still run quite well. His field kicking has always been iffy and won’t improve
I still think we need some experience but in which lines and who is the biggest question
If they where to retire it should have been announced a couple weeks ago
They both deserve proper send offs
I understand the excitement about Allan he looked right at home in the middle
Add Mitchell and JDG around him and all of a sudden we look really good there
Rude I hope we become less reliant on the veterans and the younger players force themselves into our best 22 each week

[piedys]

No to that Rudey; we all know we aren't getting near the top eight in 2025, so no point in throwing the babies out with the bathwater. Stupid saying I know, but...

Finn and Allan looked somewhat more at home in the middle last night, albeit aided by playing a midfield minus Petracca, Oliver, and of course Glassjaw.
Pendles and Sidey will be required to further the on-field education of those players, in relation to positioning and other 1%er tactics.
Whilst those things can also be taught from the sidelines, I'd prefer it to be done on the park.

As we know Mitchell will see out his 3 years in 2025, before his body fails him for the final time. We need him to assist in the tutoring phase for the younger ones too.

[Pies2016]

Gutsy call R B. The only piece I would add, is that being retained, doesn’t automatically equate to playing seniors every week. If their form is good enough, then they keep out the young blokes. If it isn’t, then the vets are either “ managed “ for a week or playing VFL and offering valuable guidance to the kids.
The other option is that their game day roles could also be modified next year. There’s an entire pre season to come where either of them could reinvent themselves in a different position that doesn’t include spending the majority of the time in and around the middle.
The club would also be acutely aware that 2025 is the handing of the baton from the old to the young, so the apprentices will be given every opportunity to step up and own their position. That mindset of knowing it’s your time is very different to knowing you’re spending another development year in the VFL. On the back of that, I expect a huge pre seasons from our young blokes in the knowledge that 2025 will be their first real year of opportunity to hold down a spot in the seniors. It’s their time but they will still have to prepare properly to take it.

[Gerry Cooper]

I've been thinking for most of this year they should both retire at the end of the season. That process probably should have started with Sidey going after the grand final last year and then Pendles this year. Both of them have had issues running out games (And an couple of other of our veterans too) which affected our performance in a few of our close finishes. Both are on the list for next year but if they arent cutting it I dont want to see them as automatic selections any more.

[Pies4shaw]

They will retire soon. I can't see Pendlebury going for much more than another 2 or 3 seasons and I fully expect Sidebottom to retire around the time he passes Pendlebury's Collingwood games record.