On 23 May 2026, playing his 433rd senior game, Pendlebury becomes the VFL/AFL all-time games record holder — surpassing the mark set by North Melbourne’s Brent Harvey nearly a decade earlier. It is, by any measure, the biggest longevity record the game has. Whether anyone gets near it again is a genuine question.
There’s a version of this story where Scott Pendlebury ends up in the NBA. Or at least tries. As a teenager from Sale in Gippsland, he accepted a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra for basketball — then quit after three weeks and headed home to chase football instead. The spot he vacated at the AIS was taken by Patty Mills, who went on to win an NBA Championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. One of them made the right call. Still not entirely sure which one.
Pendlebury was picked up by Collingwood with pick five in the 2005 national draft — a selection that surprised many. Some clubs had him going late in the first round; others thought he’d slip into the second. He’d only seriously committed to football in his draft year, and his exposure to clubs showed it. Collingwood saw something anyway.
He debuted in 2006 and never really left. What followed was 21 seasons of midfield excellence that most players couldn’t sustain for five. Two premierships, a Norm Smith Medal, six All-Australian selections, five Copeland Trophies, and nine seasons as club captain. He was the engine of Mick Malthouse’s 2010 flag and was still playing finals football in 2023 when the Pies won their second premiership of his career.
Our Favourite Scott Pendlebury footy cards
As a tribute to Pendles, we have selected our top 10 footy cards of Scott Pendlebury. Note, these aren’t necessarily the 10 most valuable cards of the great number 10 from Collingwood. But they are our favourite cards. Scarcity, significance and design all played a part in our choices. Note, we did not include any booklets.
10. 2015 Select Champions Superheroes Refractor
Despite a pretty high print run, Scott Pendlebury’s Superheroes Refractor from over a decade ago is one of our favourite releases of his. Rounded corners, cool effects on the card which were before their time, and just a nice overall feel, especially in hand. The black line in his mouthguard making it look like a gap in his teeth was also very relatable to Collingwood fans. (Edit: just kidding)
9. 2007 Select Supreme Base Rookie Card
Sometimes the simple things in life are often the best. Base cards were the foundation of the hobby but for most high-end collectors, they are an afterthought, discarded immediately after packs are opened, while the inserts are placed into sleeves, and in some cases top loaders. Collecting base cards of top players allows you t look over the evolution of the designs and see the players’s change over the course of their career. In Scott Pendlebury’s case, there has been a lot of them. And none more iconic than his 2007 Supreme base rookie card.
8. 2020 Select Brilliance /50
2020 Select Brilliance was a revelation in the footy card hobby. Each card was released in its own box, and featured a gold metallic finish and encased in a Card Armour Card Safe. Subsequent Brilliance releases – with more cards in each set – has hurt the market value, but this Scott Pendlebury card is still one that deserves a prized spot in any collection.
7. 2024 Select Legacy Ultimate 300 Games Signature /50
It’s hard to believe just how many AFL games Scott Pendlebury has played. 300 games is a mammoth effort which is why Select pays tribute to stars who reach this milestone. Pendle’s card from 2024 is awesome, but almost feels like a blast from the past, since he has played another 130+ games since then – more than most professional players play in their careers.
6. 2018 Select Legacy Future Hall of Fame /50
When these cards came out in 2018, their print run of 50 was super rare. Throw in a gorgeous looking design and it’s easy to see why these cards were very popular after they dropped. With the flood of low numbered cards in recent years, the value has softened, but this is still one of the nicest Pendles cards going around!
5. 2023 TeamCoach Scanlens Retro
TeamCoach for many years was a young kid’s release and in many ways still is. But in 2023, they released a throwback to the 1963 Scanlens set, commemorating 60 years since the bubblegum producer released their first iconic set. The Scanlens Retro cards were unnumbered, but only 185 copies were made of 1 player from each of the 18 teams. No surprise Scott Pendlebury was the choice for Collingwood, and this card remains to be incredibly underrated.
4. 2017 Select Certified Match Worn Guernsey Signature /80
A super underrated set that is only recently getting the attention it deserves. Collectors love guernsey signature cards yet our hobby has seen very few – Regal have done some exciting Ancaz Day patches/autos, but the distribution was limited. And Select have answered the call with Seamless. Pendlebury’s match worn guernsey signature card is a rare change to get the memorabilia combo, and with just 80 copies, it’s a prized collectable!
3. 2024 Select Legacy Ultimate Footy’s Finest Black /30
Footy’s Finest cards have been a popular subset with Select for almost a decade, with a stylish light card with a faded background, limited to 80 copies. But in 2022 and 2024 they brought out a Footy’s Finest Black equivalent. With a similar style, it is a dark card with a similar faded background, getting 10 out of 10 in the aesthetics department. Limited to just 30 cards, the Scott Pendlebury card is a favourite, with the colours perfect for a Collingwood player, and featuring ex-teammate Brodie Grundy subtley in the background.
2. 2006 Select Supreme Draft Pick Signature /275
It’s ironic that during the COVID peak of footy cards, this DPS could be picked up for around $200-300. Now it’s a 4-figure card! The draft signature card is usually the first mainstream professional card of a player, and when that player reaches great heights, the value grows with it. Collectors were a bit slow with this one but have now finally caught on!
1. 2020 Select Dominance Captain Signature /50
From one of the most sought-after subsets, Scott Pendlebury’s Captain Signature card sits near the top of the roost. Limited to just 50 copies and with the iconic football design on the side, it rarely leaves a collection. And when it does, a $2k price tag is not uncommon.
