Third Collingwood veteran confirms future

“Youse are the first people I’ve told, my wife doesn’t even know yet.”

A third Collingwood veteran has confirmed they’ll pull on the black and white in 2025, with two-time premiership player Steele Sidebottom set to step into a 17th season with the Magpies.

Sidebottom’s future has remained unclear until this week, with the 33-year-old without a deal for next year as the Magpies look to build a list that can challenge for a premiership again after falling short of a September finish in their flag defence.

Fellow Collingwood stalwarts Scott Pendlebury and Jeremy Howe have revealed they have deals for the coming season despite no confirmation from the club, with the latter reaching a trigger earlier this month to extend his tenure.

Pendlebury will extend his club games record running and will close in on the competition’s all-time record, while the former Magpies captain and Sidebottom need just three more games together to hold the record for the most games played as teammates ever.

That feat now looks likely to occur in the opening rounds of next year after Sidebottom joined Pendlebury and Howe in confirming his future.

“Yeah I’m locked in, ready to go,” Sidebottom confirmed to Fox Footy after Friday’s win over Melbourne.

“Youse are the first people I’ve told, my wife doesn’t even know yet.”

Sidebottom’s new deal, likely to be just the one-year extension, will see the midfielder close in on the 350-game milestone in 2025, needing just 19 games to reach the mark.

The Murray Bushrangers product has won a pair of best and fairests and an All-Australian selection during his time with the Magpies, who drafted Sidebottom in 2008 with Pick 11.

While his future is locked in at Olympic Park, the Magpies have a number of key list calls to make over the coming weeks.

Fellow veteran Will Hoskin-Elliott is still without a contract for 2025, as are Nathan Kreuger, Reef McInnes, Oleg Markov, Joe Richards and several others.

With Collingwood’s 2024 season now brought to a close, the club will announce contract and list cuts as early as next week.