Collingwood midfielder Patrick Lipinski has hit back at critics of the plan to have Scott Pendlebury wear a gold No.10 on his playing jumper when he breaks the AFL games record. The Magpies have received league approval for Pendlebury to don the one-off design for his milestone 433rd game, which is expected to take place this month.
Tony Shaw's Discomfort
Former Collingwood captain Tony Shaw has expressed his disapproval of the tribute, stating he would feel “uncomfortable” wearing a different coloured number to the rest of his team. However, Lipinski, who has played alongside Magpies legend Pendlebury for five seasons, is fully on board.
“I like it,” Lipinski told reporters on Monday. “I’ve seen a few people giving it a bit of hate, but I think Pendles can do whatever he wants and he’s earned the right to be celebrated. I think we should all just be getting around that because it’s going to be amazing when he breaks the record.”
Pendlebury's Milestone
Pendlebury, who was rested against Hawthorn last week, is set to equal retired North Melbourne champion Brent Harvey’s record of 432 games when he returns against Geelong on Saturday night. The 38-year-old could be rested again when Collingwood travel to face Sydney, before breaking the record against West Coast at the MCG in round 11. A crowd exceeding 90,000 could be on hand, similar to the turnout for Richmond legend Dustin Martin’s 300th AFL game in 2024.
Team Management
Lipinski dismissed suggestions that Collingwood’s management of Pendlebury and the milestone had caused frustration within the playing group. “The club planned for some of the more experienced players and their schedule throughout the whole season back in January-February,” Lipinski said. “So whatever the plan is, I’m sure it’s going to be fine. We’ve got such a deep list and I still think we played really well without Pendles (against Hawthorn). Obviously he’s a huge addition to our team, but I think we’ve all just got to be prepared for whatever the plan is. If he’s playing, it’s obviously a super bonus, but we’ll see.”
Collingwood's Form
Lipinski has been encouraged by eighth-placed Collingwood’s improved form in recent weeks, with wins over Carlton and Essendon followed by a draw against high-flying Hawthorn. “We’re starting to really move in the right direction,” Lipinski said. “Early in the year we had some troubles with scoring but it seems like we’re starting to play better on offence and score well. Our defence is always amazing, so we know that’s a staple for us, but I think we’ve seen some great improvement.”
Lipinski was speaking at the launch of FightMND’s Big Freeze 12 on Monday, with the annual fundraising feature set to take place when Collingwood play Melbourne in their King’s Birthday clash.
