SEN reported<\/a> Geelong and Collingwood had discussed swapping home games to ensure the Magpies had control of the MCG\u2019s screens on Pendlebury\u2019s big night – they are controlled by the host – but this was found to be too difficult.<\/p>\nStill, the Cats were reportedly \u201copen to helping Collingwood and will work with its rival to support their requirements for the record-breaking game if it was needed\u201d.<\/p>\n
Given the Cats have arguably been the club\u2019s greatest rival during Pendlebury\u2019s career it will be a fitting night.<\/p>\n
But what if that can\u2019t happen?<\/p>\n
Well, if Pendlebury misses any of those games between Gather Round and the Geelong clash, he would be lined up to play his record-breaking game interstate – Round 10 against Sydney at the SCG.<\/p>\n
It would be extremely surprising for the Magpies to allow such a milestone match to be played away from home, not just for sentimental reasons but for financial ones.<\/p>\n
Resting Pendlebury twice, instead, could allow him to play his 433rd game in Round 11 when Collingwood hosts West Coast at the MCG.<\/p>\n
That would otherwise not be a blockbuster game, but the Pendlebury record would make it one – much like Dustin Martin\u2019s 300th game bringing 92,311 fans to an otherwise middling Richmond-Hawthorn game in 2024.<\/p>\n
Collingwood\u2019s upcoming fixture and projected Pendlebury plan<\/p>\n
Round 4 vs Brisbane, Thursday night, Gabba<\/p>\n
Pendlebury to miss<\/p>\n
Round 5 vs Fremantle, Friday night, Adelaide Oval (Gather Round)<\/p>\n
Game 429<\/p>\n
Round 6 vs Carlton, Thursday night, MCG<\/p>\n
Game 430<\/p>\n
Round 7 vs Essendon, Saturday arvo, MCG (Anzac Day)<\/p>\n
Game 431<\/p>\n
Round 8 vs Hawthorn, Thursday night, MCG<\/p>\n
Game 432 and record equalled OR managed<\/p>\n
Round 9 vs Geelong, Saturday night, MCG<\/p>\n
Game 433 and record broken OR game 432 if managed once<\/p>\n
Round 10 vs Sydney, Friday night, SCG<\/p>\n
Game 433 if managed once<\/p>\n
Round 11 vs West Coast, Saturday twilight, MCG<\/p>\n
Game 433 if managed twice<\/p>\n
After that, the Magpies face the Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium and then host Melbourne in the traditional King\u2019s Birthday clash.<\/p>\n
But we reckon it won\u2019t get that far – and Pies fans should probably make sure they\u2019ve got tickets to that Eagles game. It might be the day.<\/p>\n
Bombers go 0-3 with loss to Kangaroos | 02:52<\/p>\n
BOMBERS REALITY CLEARER THAN EVER BEFORE<\/p>\n
Where to here for Essendon?<\/p>\n
The Bombers remain winless on the season at 0-3, with their 16-game losing streak dating back to last May one short of a club record. <\/p>\n
And based on Brad Scott\u2019s language after their latest loss to North Melbourne, it\u2019s now crystal clear that this is an official rebuild. <\/p>\n
We\u2019ve known as much over the last 12 months as the club prioritised the draft over trade and free agency. <\/p>\n
But it\u2019s more evident than ever before; both with the eye test, given the names running out for the club, and based on the dialogue from the man running the show. <\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t to stick the boot in and kick a club when it\u2019s down. Their effort was much better against North, even if it was a game the club should\u2019ve had circled as one it could\u2019ve realistically won. <\/p>\n
But the message to Dons fans is now loud and clear; be prepared for more pain in the short term. <\/p>\n
\u201c(Scott) said it\u2019s a medium-to-long-term plan, and in the short term they\u2019re going to take some more pain,\u201d Saints great Leigh Montagna said on Fox Footy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s evident now for everyone in the industry to see that\u2019s the case. How long that takes, who knows. It\u2019s not going to be overnight, it may be another three to four years.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately for Essendon fans, they\u2019re going to have to be patient. Hopefully, they\u2019ve nailed these drafts in recent years and they get the right characters in. They can bring in some free agents at the right time, and build a list again that is competing in finals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scott ‘frustrated’ after historic loss | 08:05<\/p>\n
So what\u2019s the pathway forward? And what should Bombers fans be wanting to see?<\/p>\n
The elephant in the room is having extra draft picks now \u2014 instead of Zach Merrett following his failed trade to Hawthorn \u2014 would be more in line with the club\u2019s overall strategy and have it better placed long term.<\/p>\n
Much like how Carlton owns Sydney\u2019s two first-round picks in the 2026 and 2027 drafts.<\/p>\n
Because if you\u2019re realistically not going to be competing now, you want as much stock in the future as possible. <\/p>\n
Essendon\u2019s priority should very much be blooding games into its high draft picks from recent years.<\/p>\n
Nate Caddy has already established himself as their marquee forward.<\/p>\n
Archie Roberts was a bargain at Pick 54 in that same 2023 draft as Caddy. <\/p>\n
Isaac Kako has been a slower burn but he\u2019s also clearly a key building block for the future. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s the 2025 draft the club invested most in with three first-round picks \u2014 Sullivan Robey, Jacob Farrow and Dyson Sharp \u2014 with only Robey yet to play his first game after an injury interrupted first pre-season. <\/p>\n
Getting reps into these players together should be the main focus.<\/p>\n
And can any other young players really establish themselves?<\/p>\n
Zak Johnson and Angus Clarke were two Bombers that emerged as a result of their injury debacle last year, though Clarke\u2019s start to 2026 has been hampered by a syndesmosis injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all about the draft. They need to bring in as many kids as they can \u2026 they need to bring in as much as they can now,\u201d Geelong champion Cameron Mooney added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe development side of their football club is the most important thing now, for mine.\u201d<\/p>\n
‘Might as well pack up the game!’ | 01:14<\/p>\n
\u2018IF WE GO DOWN THAT PATH, SCRAP THE GAME\u2019: FUTURE OF HIGH MARKS IN THE SPOTLIGHT<\/p>\n
The future of high marks has been cast into the spotlight after Alix Tauru\u2019s specky over Noah Answerth knocked out the Lions defender.<\/p>\n
It seemed inevitable this would come up with increased focus around protecting player from concussions.<\/p>\n
The specky is one of the all-time great trademarks of Australian rules and what makes our game so great. <\/p>\n
But it\u2019s in direct conflict with this extreme focus on protecting the head at all costs, with so many other measures already put in place that have affected the game. <\/p>\n
The sling tackle and pinning the arms in a tackle \u2014 once considered the perfectly executed tackle \u2014 are now big no-nos.<\/p>\n
Could the high mark now be in danger, too? <\/p>\n
Not according to Cats legend Cameron Mooney, who thinks scrapping the specky would ruin the fabric of AFL.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely no danger whatsoever. If we do start going down that path, let\u2019s scrap the game altogether,\u201d he said on Fox Footy. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been going for over 150 years, it is one of our greatest marketing tools in our game. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s (Tauru\u2019s grab) Mark of the Year so far, we\u2019ll be talking about that at the end of the year as one of the great marks.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately we\u2019re going to get these incidents.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut to ever talk about taking the big high mark away, I will walk out of this job in a heartbeat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna agreed, arguing there should be more onus on players that back into contests to protect themselves and avoid putting themselves in harm\u2019s way.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think you can take away the high mark, because Tauru has done absolutely nothing wrong there,\u201d Montagna said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf anything, as we go down the track and concussion becomes more of an issue, we continue to educate players that back into contests or run back with the flight.<\/p>\n
\u201cContinue to educate them to avoid those incidents, because Noah Answerth was so courageous in that instance.\u201d <\/p>\n
Clarko not content despite bounce back | 09:12<\/p>\n
SECOND HALF BLUES AS CARLTON FOLLOWS SAME OLD SCRIPT<\/p>\n
A stunning and extraordinary comeback for Melbourne. And more second-half blues haunting Michael Voss\u2019 side.<\/p>\n
It almost felt like the game was scripted with the way it played out.<\/p>\n
Carlton kicked the first six goals of the game, led by as much as 43 points and held Melbourne to just one goal in the first half.<\/p>\n
But it wasn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n
When they were met with resistance from Melbourne, the Blues again went into their shell and got fumbly, leading to yet another second-half fadeout.<\/p>\n
Even before the Demons first hit the lead, you could see it playing out and Carlton rarely looked like scoring in the final 10 minutes of the game.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s now Carlton\u2019s third-straight game in 2026 where its stumbled badly after half-time.<\/p>\n
It led Sydney by 10 points then lost by 63 (-73), it led Richmond by 27 and won by 4 (-23) and led Melbourne by 34 and lost by 23 (-57) \u2014 totaling -153 in second halves this year \u2014 compared to +71 in first halves.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just been a goal onslaught,\u201d Brownlow medalist Gerard Healy said on Fox Footy post-match.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Melbourne) kicked 100 points after kicking one goal up until the last minute of the second quarter. That\u2019s a big score in a half of footy.\u201d<\/p>\n
As disappointing as that was from Carlton, the Demons responded in a major way after getting beaten up around the ball early inlcuding conceding all six goals in the first quarter from stoppage.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love their ability to turn the game on its head, particularly around the stoppage, they were getting smacked in the first half,\u201d Saints great Nick Dal Santo added.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn amazing turnaround.\u201d<\/p>\n
2024 DRAFT STARTING TO LOOK SPECIAL <\/p>\n
The 2001 AFL \u2018Superdraft\u2019 \u2014 featuring greats like Luke Hodge, Luke Ball and Chris Judd \u2014 has been widely spoken about.<\/p>\n
The 2023 draft, which included Sam Darcy, Nick Daicos and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, is also looking mighty promising.<\/p>\n
And the 2024 draft has now entered the conversation.<\/p>\n
Finn O\u2019Sullivan is really starting to come on, with the North Melbourne young gun\u2019s lockdown role on Zach Merrett while picking up 24 touches himself some effort. <\/p>\n
Jagga Smith has bursted onto the scene in a major way as the Rising Star favourite after his 2025 was wiped by an ACL injury.<\/p>\n
And the likes of Sam Lalor, Levi Ashcroft, Alix Tauru and Murphy Reid are showing they have all the tools to be genuine superstars of the future. <\/p>\n
Heck, three Lions from the 2024 class \u2014 Ashcroft, Sam Marshall and Ty Gallop \u2014 are already premiership players.<\/p>\n
The emergence of O\u2019Sullivan and Smith more specifically in 2026 is what\u2019s really taken this crop to another level. <\/p>\n
Consider that we\u2019re still yet to see the likes of Sid Draper, Josh Smillie and Taj Hotton get a good chance to show their chops after injury interrupted starts to their careers.<\/p>\n
The Tigers have evidently invested a lot of stock in the 2025 draft in a pool they had six top first-round picks \u2014 Lalor, Smillie, Hotton, Jonty Faull, Luke Trainor and Harry Armstrong \u2014 after trading away Daniel Rioli and Shai Bolton. <\/p>\n
And thus a draft Adem Yze and company is pinning its future\u2019s hopes on. <\/p>\n
For their sake, let\u2019s hope it only continues to age better. <\/p>\n
First-round of 2024 draft<\/p>\n
1. Sam Lalor (Richmond)<\/p>\n
2. Finn O\u2019Sullivan (North Melbourne)<\/p>\n
3. Jagga Smith (Carlton)<\/p>\n
4. Sid Draper (Adelaide)<\/p>\n
5. Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane)<\/p>\n
6. Harvey Langford (Melbourne)<\/p>\n
7. Josh Smillie (Richmond)<\/p>\n
8. Tobie Travaglia (St Kilda)<\/p>\n
9. Leo Lombard (Gold Coast)<\/p>\n
10. Alix Tauru (St Kilda)<\/p>\n
11. Xavier Lindsay (Melbourne)<\/p>\n
12. Taj Hotton (Richmond)<\/p>\n
13. Isaac Kako (Essendon)<\/p>\n
14. Jonty Faull (Richmond)<\/p>\n
15. Joe Berry (Port Adelaide)<\/p>\n
16. Bo Allan (West Coast)<\/p>\n
17. Murphy Reid (Fremantle)<\/p>\n
18. Ollie Hannaford (GWS)<\/p>\n
19. Harrison Oliver (GWS)<\/p>\n
20. Cooper Hynes (Western Bulldogs)<\/p>\n
21. Luke Trainor (Richmond)<\/p>\n
22. Jesse Dattoli (Sydney)<\/p>\n
23. Harry Armstrong (Richmond)<\/p>\n
24. Cody Angove (GWS)<\/p>\n
25. Sam Marshall (Brisbane)<\/p>\n
26. Ned Bowman (Sydney)<\/p>\n
27. Matt Whitlock (North Melbourne)<\/p>\n
Other notable picks<\/p>\n
29. Lachie Jacques (Western Bulldogs)<\/p>\n
30. Jobe Shanahan (West Coast)<\/p>\n
33. Jack Whitlock (Port Adelaide)<\/p>\n
38. Christian Moraes (Port Adelaide)<\/p>\n
39. Angus Clarke (Essendon)<\/p>\n
49. Harry O\u2019Farrell (Carlton)<\/p>\n
41. Riley Bice (Sydney)<\/p>\n
42. Ty Gallop (Brisbane)<\/p>\n
45. Hugh Boxshall (St Kilda)<\/p>\n
51. Sam Davidson (Western Bulldogs)<\/p>\n
70. Zak Johnson (Essendon)<\/p>\n
SO, ST KILDA… WHO\u2019S \u2018RISING WITH NAS\u2019? <\/p>\n
In the words of St Kilda head coach Ross Lyon post-game on Saturday evening: \u201cWe\u2019ve got a few that need to rise with \u2018Nas\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sitting at 1-3 heading into their early bye, it may be the most accurate assessment the mastermind has made so far this season.<\/p>\n
Wanganeen-Milera, whom Lyon was referring to, has evidently become the club\u2019s focal point on-field after re-signing on a lucrative two-year deal last August.<\/p>\n
No critics question that reality, such has his recent influence at Moorabbin been both on game day and culturally. But, like most million-dollar players, added responsibility brings added attention from opposition clubs.<\/p>\n
The 23-year-old is learning that very quickly in the form of opposition taggers, and it\u2019s beginning to unmask the middle-of-the-road performances of his teammates.<\/p>\n
Big-name recruits in Tom De Koning, Jack Silvagni, Liam Ryan and Sam Flanders have been the first to feel the public\u2019s wrath amid an early patch of losses, but their coach\u2019s message after Round 3 extends well beyond the quartet.<\/p>\n
The Saints were within striking distance against all of Collingwood, Melbourne and Brisbane, but faded in each of the three losses \u2014 not to mention they very nearly relinquished a 39-point lead to GWS in their sole victory for the year, walking away as only four-point winners.<\/p>\n
On that sentiment, a comment Lyon made after their Round 1 loss to the Demons resonates; just perhaps not with the sentiment they would hope.<\/p>\n
‘We’ll learn from this’ Lyon | 07:12<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reality is, we could be 2-0, maybe, or 1-1. But 0-2, regardless of what that result is … as long as you (the players) come in to prepare to fix those (errors) and learn … as much as it grinds on you, we certainly feel we\u2019ve given great effort,\u201d Lyon told journalists earlier this month.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not going to satisfy everyone, but it certainly satisfies me as head coach.\u201d<\/p>\n
Well, the reality is that with that last-gasp victory over GWS, the Saints were very close to being 0-4, and in a game of inches, the club can\u2019t afford to cut things much finer than they are right now.<\/p>\n
St Kilda\u2019s early bye couldn\u2019t have come at a better time this upcoming weekend, before travelling to Adelaide for a Gather Round weekend finale against a down-and-out Port Adelaide outfit, who had a harrowing home loss to West Coast on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Post-bye, Ross\u2019 mob has three very winnable fixtures against the Power, the Eagles and Carlton that they simply can\u2019t afford to lose if they\u2019re going to be in a genuine position to return to September \u2014 an outcome widely expected of them after such a busy off-season and recent mediocrity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Scott Pendlebury\u2019s party planning has gotten awkward, Essendon hits another new low, and an incredible draft crop is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":572081,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,64,63,55,639,85],"class_list":["post-572080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-afl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572080","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=572080"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572080\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/572081"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=572080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=572080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=572080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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<\/p>\n