AFL 2019 Pre-Season Game 1 Team

AFL 2019 Pre Season Game 1 Collingwood v Fremantle Time & Place: Monday, March 4, 6:40pm EDT Joondalup Arena, WA TV: Fox Footy 6:30pm EDT Weather: Min 21 Max 31 Chance of rain 20% < 1mm Wind: SW 13kph

B: J. Aish 14, J. Roughead 23, T. Langdon 8

HB: N. Murphy 28, D. Moore 30, J. Crisp 25

C: T. Phillips 21, R. Wills 33, S. Sidebottom 22

HF: J. Stephenson 1, J. Elliott 5, C. Brown 17

F: T. Varcoe 18, B. Mihocek 41, J. Daicos 26

Foll: B. Grundy 4, S. Pendlebury 10, D. Beams 11

I/C: I. Quaynor 35, L. Greenwood 19, J. Thomas 24, B. Reid 20, T. Brown 34, B. Crocker 39, F. Appleby 31, C. Mayne 16

Emerg: M. Cox 46, M. Lynch 45, A. Treloar 7, J. Madgen 44

Notable absentees: Will Hoskin-Elliott, Daniel Wells, Taylor Adams

Collingwood News Pendlebury to captain the Pies in 2019 Scott Pendlebury will captain the Collingwood AFL team for a sixth season in 2019. The five-time Copeland Trophy winner, who succeeded Nick Maxwell as skipper in 2014, is currently the third longest serving captain in Collingwood history. The Collingwood board ratified Pendlebury’s re-appointment at its meeting on Wednesday, along with the re-appointment of Steele Sidebottom as vice-captain. The Collingwood AFL leadership group for 2019 will consist of Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Taylor Adams, Jeremy Howe and Lynden Dunn. History is beckoning Pendlebury in 2019. The 31 year-old has ahead of him the prospect of becoming only the third Collingwood player to reach the 300-game milestone and is set to move into outright third on the all-time Collingwood games record list. Pendlebury has played 277 matches for the Magpies, which puts him behind only Tony Shaw (313 matches) and Gordon Coventry (306). He is currently equal third on the list with Wayne Richardson. “It was an honour to captain Collingwood six years ago. It is still a great honour to captain Collingwood and will always be an honour,” Pendlebury said. “Leadership isn’t an individual responsibility in team sport, though. It has to be a collective strength. A whole of squad mentality. “Which is why we need not only Steele, ‘Tay’, ‘Howey’, ‘Dunny’ and myself taking charge but everyone who pulls on the jumper. If we have that underlying strength we won’t be an easy proposition for anyone.” Buckley accepts a two-year contract extension Collingwood senior coach Nathan Buckley has accepted a two-year contract extension that will see him remain at the helm of the AFL team until at least the end of 2021. Buckley was contracted for 2019 but club and coach were keen for a further commitment that will see his tenure as senior coach reach at least a decade. Buckley led Collingwood to the 2018 grand final, and in earlier seasons a preliminary final and elimination final. He has a career coaching record with Collingwood of 87 wins, 74 losses and one draw. He is currently the sixth longest serving coach in Collingwood history, behind Jock McHale (714 matches), his predecessor Michael Malthouse (286), Phonse Kyne (272), Leigh Matthews (224) and Bob Rose (193). The faith in the new deal, though, is as much about leadership and recognition of cultural change as it is about his win-loss record. “ ‘Bucks’ is an excellent coach and an outstanding Collingwood person who has always been club first,” said president, Eddie McGuire. “In a way, seven seasons in, it feels as if the journey has just begun. We have always seen many qualities in ‘Bucks’, which is why we appointed him in the first place and re-appointed him back in 2017. Through the review process of that year those qualities shone through. “We see an exciting future with him very much at the heart of it all.” Collingwood chief executive, Mark Anderson, added: “The two year extension reinforces the on-field progress and results that our team have achieved but also recognises the key leadership role Nathan has played in developing our culture and the deep connections that he has developed within the team and across our club. “As deep as the disappointment of our grand final defeat was for all, our fans felt immensely proud of ‘Bucks’, of the players and of the manner in which the football club carried itself through the season. “No one is satisfied with our results from last year and we are very aware that we start level with all teams come round one. But our plan is to build a team and club where our performance is strong and sustained. Nathan is certainly vital to us realising that objective.” Buckley said he was pleased to be able to continue to share in the challenge of ensuring  Collingwood – team and club -  remain strong and proud. “Sport evolves constantly. So must we,” Buckley said. “It is a personal and professional privilege to be sharing in and, to a degree, shaping the evolution of a club that is very close to my heart. “I thank Eddie, Mark and the hierarchy for their faith.”