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Veteran Pie decides his playing future

Veteran Pie decides his playing future

Perth Now12-06-2025
Collingwood vice-captain Brayden Maynard has shunned North Melbourne to sign a four-year extension with the 2023 premiers.
The gun defender, who could have received a richer deal with the Roos, will remain a Magpie until the end of 2029, when he will be 33 years old.
Despite dealing with an ongoing foot injury, the 28-year-old has been a strong driver of the Pies' 2025 success with their suffocating defence.
The South Australian was drafted at pick 30 by Collingwood in 2014 and has served as the team's vice-captain since 2023. He was named in the All-Australian team in 2022.
His recommitment comes as club legend Scott Pendlebury expressed his desire to play on next year.
The 37-year-old is still without a contract for 2026 but wants to continue his career at Collingwood.
'All I can say is I'm loving my footy. I'm a super competitive person and I enjoy going into the club every day—I have so much fun,' he told SEN.
'While we're still contending and I'm playing a role that the club really values, then I'd love to continue playing footy. But that's a conversation we'll have as a club and be nice and mature about it.'
Pendlebury, who has played the third-most games in VFL/AFL history with 414 appearances, would draw plenty of interest from rival clubs if Collingwood does not offer him a one-year deal. Brayden Maynard has resigned with Collingwood. Credit: Morgan Hancock / Getty Images
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So I didn't look at it as though 'this is what Carlton has always done, so I can't do it. I can't make that recommendation to the board'. It had to be okay. 'Having said that I think we might be 28-9 now [losses and wins in past 37 games] and I think we might have been 18-8 and Vossy and I had an honest conversation, which is, we haven't been good enough, what are we gonna do about it? Then it's more, OK I need to have some conversations with people at the club and players and coaches and staff and see where we go, and then ongoing conversations with him about what he's thinking.' Will Hinkley join the Blues? Once Voss was confirmed for 2026 the thinking shifted. You could not have the season Carlton has had and make no changes. Lloyd, the football manager for seven seasons and three coaches, leaves the club next week, a liked and respected character but with new leadership wanted. The coaching team will change. Some assistants are under contract and will remain; others without contracts have been told they can't be offered new deals yet but that doesn't mean they won't be. They are free to look around. 'I think Vossy has to decide how he wants to structure up,' Wright said. 'Do we bring in a coaching director or with the soft cap change around senior assistants what does he [Voss] think that looks like? What does he see for [senior assistant] Ash Hansen? So there's all those conversations that he needs to have post-season. 'You look at things around the way we play and how we're structuring up in games, and key statistics around and all of those things in making the coaching decision, rather than putting a finger in the air and saying this is what I think. 'There was shared responsibility, in my view, of players taking accountability, the leaders taking some responsibility and obviously, there's some feedback for Vossy in that around how or why he goes about things. 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So we need someone else who could come in and play genuine ruck, who that is the guys are working through that now, if TDK goes.' Ned Moyle at Gold Coast is contracted but struggling for opportunities behind Jarrod Witts. Ditto Ned Reeves - who was taken as an SSP rookie when Wright was at Hawthorn - who is also contracted but behind Lloyd Meek who leapfrogged Reeves in the pecking order when the ruck rules changed. 'There's a few guys around and a few who are contracted but want opportunity. Reeves is one in that boat.' Carlton's other free agent, Jack Silvagni, is unrestricted so the Blues don't get to peek at other offers for him. Collingwood's early pursuit prompted some in the industry to wonder if there was a personal element to the Pies' attempts to poach him from Wright's new club. 'I'd find that hard to believe because you're trying to do the right thing by the football club not get one over on someone. I can see why Collingwood would be interested in a player like Jack for their list needs,' Wright said. The Bulldogs have since met with Silvagni, who is now weighing the relative premiership windows of all three clubs - Carlton, Collingwood and the Dogs - given the financial offers are fairly similar. The players on Carlton's trade and draft radar The Blues need more run in midfield but also more depth in small forwards who can scunge a goal and apply pressure. Mal Rosas at Gold Coast is out of contract and played 49 games so he fits the role, availability and age profile, and the Blues are interested. 'Like a number of clubs we've expressed an interest. I'm not sure where that one sits,' Wright said. Liam Ryan out of West Coast? 'He's contracted. I think he's got a year ago That … complicates it a whole lot more.' Jamie Elliot at Collingwood still unsigned and a free agent. 'I presume he stays at Collingwood. I wouldn't think he's leaving, that's my view, but I'd certainly be open-minded if Jamie is a free agent and wanted to move. But I haven't heard that he's moving.' The Blues could lose Silvagni but will add at least one father-son this year and next in Peter Dean's son Harry (a likely top 10 pick this year) and Andrew Walker's talented son Cody next year. The compensation question Carlton stands to lose TDK on the biggest contract a player has ever signed, and will receive only a first round compensation pick tied to their first selection. Currently, that would be pick six, but will doubtless be pushed back with bidding on academy players. Under the current system if Carlton were to bring in a free agent (depending on the quality of the free agent) they would potentially dilute even that modest compensation. West Coast is in the same boat. If they lose their captain Oscar Allen as a free agent they can't risk diluting his compensation by potentially bringing in Lions free agent Brandon Starcevich. Wright believes the system should change. 'Whether it is the clubs outside the eight that can bring in a free agent without it hurting compo, or just the bottom six or eight, there shouldn't be a disincentive to securing mature talent for clubs trying to rebuild,' he said. The deal with McKay and Curnow Wright says Curnow has had a difficult year because of interrupted pre-season. Loading 'Charlie has said he wants to be here, he is contracted and we want him here,' he said. 'He has medical issues that are sort of ongoing. He had the knee fracture in 2017 or '18 and that has required ongoing maintenance. The surgery he had last week is really minor, but it's best to get it cleaned up and done and he can go on his break and come back and have a full pre-season, unlike last year which impacted his whole year. That's the plan.' McKay, meantime, has missed games for personal reasons (later speaking with honesty about his struggles with mental health), and through injury. 'We just haven't had both of them out there. I don't know how many games they've played together in recent years but it's not a lot, so having those two fit and available as well as Sam Walsh fundamentally changes us,' Wright said.

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