Collingwood greats Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom are playing for less than the AFL’s average wage for a senior-listed player this year, in what has become a major benefit to the premiership favourites.
Pendlebury, 37, and Sidebottom, 34, are contracted for deals in the range of $400,000 in 2025, plus the normal bonuses players can receive for best and fairest finishes and All-Australian selection, according to industry sources familiar with the outline of the super veterans’ 2025 deals.
Collingwood veterans Steele Sidebottom and Scott Pendlebury after they broke the record earlier this season for the most games played together as teammates.Credit: Getty Images
Even if either earned best and fairest or All-Australian bonuses, Pendlebury and Sidebottom would still fall short of the $500,771 that is the average for an AFL senior-listed player (not including rookie list players) in 2025.
Like Sidebottom, match-winning forward Jamie Elliott, 32, has been in near-career peak form this year – sitting third on the AFL goalkicking table – and is being paid well below his level of performance, relative to the competition.
Sidebottom is turning back the clock in 2025, having won the Anzac Day Medal against the Bombers.Credit: AFL Photos
To place Pendlebury’s and Sidebottom’s deals for this year in perspective, collectively they are paid close to half the amount offered to Carlton’s Tom De Koning, by St Kilda, on an annual basis, should the free-agent ruckman take up the Saints’ monstrous long-term offer of $1.7 million a year.
The Magpies have indicated a wish to retain Pendlebury and Sidebottom, along with Elliott, in 2026.
Assuming a reasonable run with injury, Pendlebury (414 games) would break the AFL games record of 432 held by Brent Harvey next year, should he sign on, as now appears likely, for a 21st season. Defender Jeremy Howe, too, is reportedly favoured to be offered a contract.
That Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Elliott and Howe have been able to perform at high levels, despite being well into their 30s, has been of benefit to the ladder leaders, who had enough space in their salary cap to acquire Dan Houston from Port Adelaide and Harry Perryman from Greater Western Sydney.
Collingwood’s large contingent of players aged 30 or older – they have often fielded the oldest teams in AFL history this year, with an average of over 28 – means that they have fewer players in their prime earning years, a situation similar to Geelong since 2022 and the Hawthorn teams of 2013-2016, which featured Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Shaun Burgoyne and others.
The Cats of 2025 have their skipper Patrick Dangerfield, 35 and playing at near All-Australian standard as a forward (rather than midfielder), also playing for a contract that is some distance below his peak earnings as a Geelong champion. Tom Hawkins and Joel Selwood were among the greats whose contracts were heavily reduced in their twilight years before retirement.
Sidebottom was viewed as no certainty to continue playing in 2025 mid-way through 2024, but he had an impressive finish to the season when moved back from the wing into a predominantly on-ball role, which he has continued this year.
Pendlebury, at his peak in the 2010s, earned in the vicinity of a million dollars per season, being one of only two players who were contracted on a fixed percentage – then around 8 per cent – of the salary cap, rather than a dollar amount. Former Geelong skipper Selwood was the other player with that arrangement.
In addition to those mentioned, Collingwood has Brody Mihocek (32), Mason Cox (34), Tom Mitchell (32) and Will Hoskin-Elliott (31) coming out of contract this year from their group of players aged 30-plus. Star midfielder Jack Crisp (31) is contracted for 2026, along with ex-Saint Tim Membrey, who came to the Magpies on a cheap, two-year deal.
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