SACRIFICIAL MAGPIE

Maxwell lauds his captaincy successor

AFL: Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury’s willingness to sacrifice his own 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 himself and shifting greater responsibility to other members of coach Nathan Buckley’s midfield.

Maxwell says the skipper’s selflessness has added a new 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 (Dane Swan) for all those years,” Maxwell 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 this year 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 now, so I think from Scotty’s perspective what he’s been able to do this year’s outstanding.”

After his retirement in 2014, Maxwell worked with the GWS Giants and NRL powerhouse Melbourne Storm before returning to Collingwood at the end of last year in a newly created role of leadership and culture manager.

The man who lifted the premiership cup in 2010 said he had noticed a change in the Pendlebury he knew as a teammate to the man who on Saturday will have the chance to join him as a premiership captain.

“I think he gets more satisfaction right now than what he would have got out of the last few years when he’s probably had more football (himself ) 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.”