Pendles leads with less

Skipper sacrifices game for good of team

COLLINGWOOD captain Scott Pendlebury’s willingness to sacrifice his game for the sake of his team is a key reason behind the club’s Grand Final rise, according to premiership skipper Nick Maxwell.

Pendlebury has this season spent less time in the middle, as a result winning less of the ball and shifting greater responsibility to other members of Nathan Buckley’s midfield.

And Maxwell says the skipper’s selflessness has added a layer to his leadership.

“I think probably the biggest thing with Scott is he always had to be the man because he was obviously our best midfielder, he and ‘Swanny’ for all those years,” he said.

“They’d just go out there and they’d be the ones who’d dominate.

“Scott’s been really active this year to actually push other guys forward and (getting them to) take more of a role in certain circumstances.

“We’ve seen him do a job on Patty Cripps a couple of times and there’s other guys he’s played on to sacrifice his game.

“I think, as a leader, that’s been part of his growth . . . he’s got a bit older, he’s got kids, so I think from Scotty’s perspective, what he’s been able to do this year’s outstanding.”

Since his retirement in 2014, Maxwell worked with GWS Giants and NRL powerhouse Melbourne Storm before returning to Collingwood in a new role of leadership and culture manager.

And the man who lifted the Premiership Cup in 2010 says he has noticed a change in the Pendlebury he knew as a teammate to the man who on Saturday has the chance to join him as a premiership captain.

“I think he gets more satisfaction than what he would have got out of the last few years when he’s probably had more football and his stats would look better,” Maxwell said.

“But his importance to the team (in those years) hasn’t been anywhere near as big as what it has been this year.

“I think it happens with all players and all leaders. I can guarantee that my first year as captain, I was different five years later . . . because you learn different things and pick them up along the way.

“Ultimately you’re only a great leader if you can actually make other people around you better, and I think what Scott has really done this year.”