Collingwood great Steele Sidebottom has bowed out of the AFL with one final selfless act, getting around teammate Tim Membrey following the forward’s miss after the siren in a wildcard thriller on Friday night.
Membrey, who had briefly put the Pies ahead just moments earlier, had the chance to beat the Bulldogs and send the Pies through to the finals proper but couldn’t find the target.
The result not only ended Collingwood’s season but Sidebottom’s career — and potentially injured legend Scott Pendlebury’s time at the club, too.
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Sidebottom was on the bench for the final minutes and put aside his own emotions to run straight to Membrey.
“I’m just shattered for the boys,” he told Channel 7.
“To go down like that, kick after the siren, it just shows how footy goes these days, just such small margins. You can go either way.
“Clearly I’m disappointed, mate. But yeah, that’s it for me. And yeah, what a ride it’s been.”
The 35-year-old said the support for Membrey was a sign of “what makes this group so strong”.
“We don’t talk about results and outcomes and things like that,” Sidebottom said.
“Those moments I think we’ve showed in the past, you know, (Jack) Crisp last year or whatever when we were very tight-knit group.
“I feel very fortunate I’ve been able to finish with this group of players.”
The 375-game veteran said retirement was already beginning to hit him.
“Obviously I’d still turned up hoping that tonight would not be (the end) but s*** happens,” Sidebottom said.
“We move on and I just feel so blessed. I’m very content with my time at Collingwood. I’ve been so lucky. And next part of my life now starts.”
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, a Collingwood assistant at the beginning of Sidebottom’s career, rushed to congratulate the midfielder.
Aaron Naughton also paid an immediate tribute to a childhood hero.
“Unbelievable. Hall of Fame career,” the Dogs forward said.
“I remember being 10 years old, watching the 2010 grand final. An unbelievable career for him. What a superstar really.”
Sidebottom eschewed being chaired off to instead walk hand in hand with his two children.
He also received a standing ovation in the Collingwood rooms afterwards.
“A beautiful moment,” Xander McGuire said.
Sidebottom’s premiership teammate Dale Thomas said the midfielder “got absolutely everything out of himself” to finish behind only Pendlebury for games played at Collingwood.
“Two-time premiership player, he’s achieved it all,” Thomas said on Channel 7.
“To walk away, that feeling, it’s one I remember fondly — it hurts, it’s something you’ve dreamt of as a kid.
“To have done it for as long as he has, but now the realisation that this is the last time ever I get to come out and do this, no doubt it’ll be an emotional couple of hours and days.”
Matthew Richardson said it was “one of the great careers”.
“Only the very, very minute percentage of players play as many games as he did,” he said.
“He’s a class act, he’s a great man, a great clubman. When the dust settles in the next few days, I found when you retire it’s almost a sense of relief as well. You start looking forward, he’s got a young family, exciting times for him ahead.”
While Sidebottom announced his retirement earlier this month, Pendlebury has yet to decide his future while focusing on the season.
The 38-year-old missed the wildcard clash with a hamstring injury.
Pendlebury has been increasingly linked with a move to Gold Coast in a playing-coaching role, with some people at Collingwood so far less convinced on giving him another year.
“All (options) open,” McGuire said.
“In the perfect world Collingwood come to the table with a deal, a one-year deal. There’s clearly a difference of opinion amongst people at the club, and Pendles himself hasn’t sat down with them and said this is exactly what I want.
“Barry Carp, the president, said they will be aligned with whatever call Pendles makes but you don’t want to be in an organisation playing on an extra year if you don’t feel like that’s in the best interests for everyone.
“I’d expect an announcement in the next three to four days. They’re going to make this call fast I think. All parties probably know what they want to say when they get in that room in the next couple of days.”
