Scott Pendlebury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scott Pendlebury |
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Pendlebury playing for Collingwood in 2025
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Scott Pendlebury | ||
| Nickname(s) | Pendles, Dippa | ||
| Date of birth | 7 January 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Sale, Victoria | ||
| Original team | Gippsland Power (TAC Cup) | ||
| Draft | No. 5, 2005 national draft | ||
| Debut | Round 10, 2006, Collingwood v. Brisbane Lions, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground |
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| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Collingwood | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Scott Pendlebury (born on January 7, 1988) is a famous professional Australian rules footballer. He plays for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Scott was the captain of Collingwood from 2014 to 2022, leading his team for nine years.
He is a two-time premiership player, meaning his team won the AFL Grand Final twice. Scott also won the Norm Smith Medal in 2010 for being the best player in the Grand Final replay. In 2013, he was named the AFL Coaches Association's champion player of the year. Scott has been selected for the All-Australian team six times and has won the Copeland Trophy five times. He holds the record for the most VFL/AFL games played, with 435 games.
Scott Pendlebury holds several league records, including the most disposals, handballs, and tackles in AFL history. He also has the most Brownlow Medal votes of any player who has not won the award. On May 23, 2026, Scott played his 433rd game, breaking Brent Harvey's long-standing record of 432 games.
Contents
Scott Pendlebury: A Football Legend
Early Days and Sporting Choices
Scott Pendlebury grew up in Sale, Victoria. When he was younger, he was very good at basketball. He even received a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. However, after a short time, Scott decided to leave basketball. He wanted to focus on playing football instead. He returned to Victoria to play for the Gippsland Power in the TAC Cup. Interestingly, Patty Mills, who later became an NBA champion, took Scott's place in the basketball squad. Scott supported the Melbourne Football Club as a child.
In 2005, Scott played for the under-18 Vic Country team. He also played for the Gippsland Power, who won the TAC Cup that year. Scott was a standout player, averaging 22 possessions per game. The Collingwood Football Club noticed his talent. They drafted Scott Pendlebury with pick five in the 2005 AFL draft. His older brother, Kristopher, also played football for Collingwood's VFL team.
Starting His AFL Journey
First Games and Rising Star
Scott's first season in 2006 was a bit slow due to illness. However, he soon recovered and made his AFL debut in Round 10. He famously kicked his first goal with his very first kick in league football. He played nine games in his debut year.
In 2007, Scott changed his jersey number to 10. He quickly became a regular player in Collingwood's midfield. He averaged 18 disposals per game and was nominated for the NAB Rising Star award. He had a great game in the semi-final against the West Coast Eagles, collecting 26 possessions. Many people compared him to another talented young player, Joel Selwood. Scott finished second in Collingwood's best and fairest award, the Copeland Trophy.
Becoming a Key Player
By 2008, Scott was recognized as a leader. He was voted into Collingwood's leadership group as deputy vice-captain. He had an impressive 33 disposals in the Anzac Day match against Essendon. Scott played his 50th AFL game in Round 19. He finished third in Collingwood's Best and Fairest count that year.
In 2009, Scott became even more important for his team. He achieved a career-high 39 disposals against the Melbourne Football Club. Despite missing some games due to injuries, he averaged 26 disposals per game. He also received 13 votes in the 2009 Brownlow Medal.
Captaincy and Major Wins
Leading the Team
The year 2010 was a huge one for Scott. He was named in the All-Australian team and won the Anzac Medal. He also finished fourth in the 2010 Brownlow Medal with 21 votes. Most importantly, he won the Norm Smith Medal when Collingwood secured the premiership.
In 2011, Scott won his second Anzac Medal. He also won his first Copeland Trophy as Collingwood's best and fairest player. He finished equal third in the 2011 Brownlow Medal with 24 votes. Scott continued his strong performance in 2012, earning his third consecutive All-Australian selection.
Scott had an outstanding season in 2013, which many consider his best. He won his second Copeland Trophy and was again included in the All-Australian team. This was his fourth time being selected for the prestigious team.
On January 29, 2014, Scott Pendlebury was appointed captain of the Collingwood Football Club. He excelled in this new role, having one of his best seasons ever. He was selected for the All-Australian team for the fifth time in a row. He also won his third Copeland Trophy and the Lou Richards Medal.
Scott signed a new contract with Collingwood in 2015, showing his commitment to the club. He won his third consecutive and fourth overall Copeland Trophy that year. In 2016, despite battling injuries and playing in different positions, he won his fifth Copeland Trophy. This showed his amazing consistency and dedication.
In 2017, Scott had another consistent season. However, he broke a finger in Round 17, which ended his season early. He still managed a career-high average of 6.4 tackles per game.
Breaking Records
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In 2020, Scott broke two major Collingwood records. He played the most VFL/AFL games for the club and also served as captain for the most games.
Scott was recognized as the AFLPA best captain in 2022 for the second time. At the end of that season, he stepped down as captain after nine years, making him the longest-serving captain in Collingwood's history.
In 2023, Scott achieved another incredible milestone. In Round 17, he broke the VFL/AFL all-time disposal record, surpassing Robert Harvey. He also became a premiership player again, winning the 2023 AFL Grand Final. This ended a 13-year wait between premierships for him and teammate Steele Sidebottom, a league record.
In 2024, Scott Pendlebury became the first VFL/AFL player to reach 10,000 disposals. In Round 21, he played his 400th game, becoming only the sixth player in VFL/AFL history to reach this milestone. During the year, he accepted a fine for an on-field incident and apologized to the other player involved.
Scott continued his amazing career into 2025, playing his 20th season. The club carefully managed his playing schedule, especially for away games, to keep him in top condition.
The 2026 season saw Scott enter his 21st year in the AFL. He needed just seven more games to break Brent Harvey's all-time VFL/AFL games record of 432. In his first game of 2026, he equaled Michael Tuck for second place on the all-time list. In Round 2, Scott and Steele Sidebottom broke the record for most games played together as teammates.
In Round 3, Scott was involved in an on-field collision. He faced a review, but due to his exceptional record of never being suspended in 427 games, the penalty was reduced to a fine instead of a one-match suspension. This decision caused a lot of discussion in the football world.
Scott missed a couple of games due to Achilles tightness and planned rest. He returned in Round 6 and then delivered one of his best performances ever on Anzac Day in Round 7. He won a record fourth Anzac Medal with 43 disposals and two goals. This game also saw him equal Brent Harvey's record of 432 games.
On May 23, 2026, Scott Pendlebury played his 433rd game against the West Coast Eagles at the MCG. This historic game officially made him the VFL/AFL all-time games record holder. Collingwood players wore a special "SP433" logo on their jerseys to celebrate this amazing achievement.
Life Outside Football
Scott Pendlebury was born and grew up in Sale, Victoria. He attended Catholic College Sale. He played alongside future Collingwood teammates Dale Thomas, Tyson Goldsack, and Brent Macaffer at the Gippsland Power. His two brothers, Kris and Ryan, have also played football in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Scott married his wife, Alex, in 2016. They have a son, born in 2017, and a daughter, born in 2019. In March 2026, Scott appeared on the reality TV show Rivals: Sport vs. Sport, representing Australian Rules Football.
Career Statistics
Updated to the end of round 14, 2026.
| G | Goals | B | Behinds | K | Kicks | H | Handballs | D | Disposals | M | Marks | T | Tackles |
| 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 | 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 |
| 2026 | Collingwood | 10 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 105 | 136 | 241 | 47 | 25 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 10.5 | 13.6 | 24.1 | 4.7 | 2.5 | |
| Career | 435 | 207 | 129 | 5497 | 5531 | 11028 | 1719 | 2012 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 12.6 | 12.7 | 25.4 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 225 | ||
Awards and Achievements
Team
- 2× AFL premiership player (Collingwood): 2010, 2023
- 2× AFL minor premiership/McClelland Trophy (Collingwood): 2010, 2011
- AFL minor premiership (Collingwood): 2023
- NAB Cup (Collingwood): 2011
Individual
- Norm Smith Medal: 2010 replay
- Collingwood captain: 2014–2022
- AFLCA champion player of the year: 2013
- Collingwood games record holder
- 6× All-Australian team: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019
- 5× Copeland Trophy: 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
- 2× AFLPA best captain: 2020, 2022
- AFLCA best young player: 2007
- 4× Anzac Medal: 2010, 2011, 2019, 2026
- AFL Rising Star nominee: 2007
