Collingwood’s path to the preliminary final is proof that age in AFL is no barrier when paired with discipline, experience, and relentless preparation. In an era obsessed with youth and speed, the Magpies’ squad is quietly defying expectations, relying on a blend of seasoned heads and tactical nous to march toward September glory.
The “too old, too slow” slight has long been thrown at football teams, yet history tells a different story. Hawthorn in 1991 and Geelong in 2011 both responded to doubts with premiership-winning performances, making a mockery of critics who questioned their age. By modern standards, however, those teams were hardly the elder statesmen they’re often portrayed as. Michael Tuck was 38, yet his longevity seemed almost mythical, while Chris Mew was 30, and Gary Ayres turned 31 on grand final day. Dermott Brereton, still only 27, endured a body battered by years of hard hits just six months later. The Geelong side of 2011 wasn’t a “dad’s army” either, with just five players aged 30 or older, Matthew Scarlett being the oldest at 32.
By contrast, Collingwood’s current lineup genuinely qualifies as a veteran side. If Jeremy Howe plays, he’ll be the ninth player aged 30 or over on the field. Jordan De Goey and Darcy Moore are soon to join that cohort, reflecting a broader trend in elite sport where longevity is increasingly achievable. Tom Brady retired at 45, Novak Djokovic continued to win grand slams in his 30s, and Serena Williams captured an Australian Open at 35, all while pregnant. Across sports, the truly elite athletes—Brady, Djokovic, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kyrie Irving, Kelly Slater, Aaron Rodgers—combine talent with fanatical attention to nutrition, sleep, recovery, and minute details such as vaccinations.
Mason Cox, at 34, is not a Ronaldo. Brody Mihocek, 32, “held together by masking tape,” does not glide like Djokovic. Yet Collingwood’s experiment with older players is more than a last hurrah; it reflects deliberate preparation, a culture of resilience, and high-performance methods that maximize output even in the latter stages of a career. The question becomes: Are these players conditioned differently from their peers at other clubs? And do the habits of Collingwood’s senior stars influence the entire squad?
Brody Mihocek and Jamie Elliott exemplify Collingwood’s age-defying approach. In the AFL qualifying final against Adelaide, both were integral to the Magpies’ performance, showcasing the blend of experience, positioning, and intelligence that often compensates for a slight drop in pace. Their contributions are emblematic of a side where age is leveraged as a tactical advantage rather than a liability.
The mastermind behind much of this longevity is Collingwood’s high-performance manager, Jarrod Wade. Arriving just two weeks after Craig McRae, Wade brought a fresh perspective informed by years in rugby league. Convinced that AFL players weren’t always physically resilient, he often cited Wayne Bennett: “You don’t have to feel good to train good.” This philosophy clashed with the cautious conditioning mentality prevalent at many AFL clubs, where older players were frequently managed to prevent short-term discomfort. Wade’s rigorous preseason regimen shocked many, but he balanced intensity with science, intuition, and a willingness to lean on a core group of self-driven seniors who thrived on hard work. By the middle of the following season, Collingwood’s experienced stars were overpowering opponents in final quarters, evidence of the program’s efficacy.
Central to this culture is Scott Pendlebury. Earlier this year, Pendlebury shared insights into his enduring excellence on a podcast with Mark Howard, describing a lifestyle devoted to recovery, mobility, and meticulous routines. “When he wasn’t in the sauna, he was having an afternoon nap. When he wasn’t doing cold plunges, he was doing mobility exercises,” the discussion revealed. At 37, Pendlebury maintains a level of discipline that few professional athletes could sustain, particularly those balancing the demands of fatherhood with elite competition.
Pendlebury’s devotion mirrors what one of Novak Djokovic’s former coaches called a “continuity of obsession.” For Pendlebury, these practices are not burdensome; they are integral to his identity as a player. The precision and consistency he applies in his training translates directly to his on-field performance, allowing him to “compute and solve the game’s problems” in real-time. Unlike other players, such as Patrick Dangerfield, whose impact can leave visible marks on the ground, Pendlebury exerts influence almost invisibly, appearing to glide above the contest and intervene with surgical efficiency.
This level of professionalism was evident even in the moments leading up to major finals. Just days before the 2023 grand final, Pendlebury appeared on a podcast with journalist Jay Clark and coach Ross Lyon. Seated calmly with a water bottle, he exuded the controlled energy characteristic of elite, emotionally regulated athletes on the brink of competition. It was clear that months of careful preparation, from sauna sessions to cold plunges, had equipped him to perform at peak level without sacrificing clarity or composure.
Lyon himself remarked on Pendlebury’s remarkable state. “You look like a title fighter,” he laughed. “Lean, dog hungry, ready to go.” These words capture the essence of Collingwood’s current identity: a team that is hungry, cunning, and undeterred by the perception of age. The Magpies are a side that is, in every sense, “raging against the dying of the light,” proving that veteran leadership combined with disciplined preparation remains a potent formula in modern AFL.
As Collingwood prepares to run out in the preliminary final, the lesson is clear: experience, when cultivated through careful conditioning, self-discipline, and strategic thinking, can rival youthful exuberance. For the Magpies, age is not a weakness; it is a weapon, and their journey through September promises to demonstrate the enduring power of wily, hungry, and remarkably fit veterans.