AFL

We know that Collingwood great Scott Pendlebury will be heading to the Gold Coast Suns on a four-year deal, two as a player, two as a coach, this offseason.

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With Pendlebury a free agent, it is now being reported that the Suns will now have to trade for the Pies great if they want to protect the compensation that the club will receive from moving on from Ben King, which currently stands at Pick 7 under AFL rules.

That has left some around the league a little off that Pendlebury would draw compensation.

However, that is where we are now.

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And according to SEN’s Sam Edmund, both Collingwood and Gold Coast aren’t thrilled with how this deal will have to play out.

“Gold Coast and many others were stunned that Scott Pendlebury would draw compensation,» Edmund wrote. “That’s going to affect Ben King, clearly. He’ll end up being traded for Pick 75, which is farcical for an icon of the game and the game’s record holder.

“But that’s what the rule demands, so that’s what Gold Coast are going to have to do. They’re not thrilled with it, I don’t think Collingwood are overly thrilled with it either. They could delist him, Collingwood, but they are not going to do that. Optically, that would be even worse.

“He is going to go there, traded for a very late pick, Scott Pendlebury.»

Plan of attack now known for Suns

So, in a nutshell, the Suns have to trade for Pendlebury to protect the compensation they will get for King should he move to Hawthorn, which has been heavily reported.

For both clubs, it is a little annoying, but if the Suns want to protect their compensation, this is the road they will have to take.

It doesn’t look too good to trade Pendlebury, a great player of the game, for essentially a throwaway selection, but that is what the rules dictate.

So, Scott’s move north doesn’t appear to be entirely seamless.

AFL

Plan of attack now known for Suns

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