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Find your frequency hereWhy Simpson believes Collingwood's schedule permits an ageing list
SEN • August 14th, 2025 5:59 pm
Are Collingwood the only side that could successfully field such an aged list?
Fielding a team with an average age of 28.7 years, the Magpies are nearly two years older than the second oldest list in the AFL (Geelong at 26.8 years), while also fielding a side with an average of 155.5 games played, 22 more than second-ranked Brisbane and nearly 40 more than third-ranked Geelong.
Collingwood’s wealth of experience has turned in a rather successful season, topping the table for a majority of the AFL season before a late-season falter in recent weeks.
That being said, the Magpies’ ageing list is significantly aided by the team’s lack of travel. In 2025, Collingwood played 17 games in Melbourne, with a league-high 14 at the MCG. Five of their away games were played at the ‘G, and the Adelaide Oval remains the only stadium outside of Victoria to host multiple Collingwood games this season – one being Gather Round.
Speaking on their beneficial draw, West Coast Eagles’ premiership coach Adam Simpson believes that no side outside of Victoria would be able to successfully field such an ageing side.
“If Collingwood was Fremantle or West Coast, could you actually play a team that aged?” Simpson questioned on SEN Whateley.
“Their fixturing means they get to play at the MCG every week, they don’t get to travel… how many years does it take off if Collingwood’s list was based in Western Australia?
“There’s a great question, could it be done?”
Within Collingwood’s only trip to Western Australia this season, the Pies opted to rest 37-year-old Scott Pendlebury, alongside Brayden Maynard and Jordan De Goey.
“We don’t know if it can be done in Victoria, they still have some work to do with this profile that they’ve got, but I don’t think you’d even come close to trying it if you’re based in Western Australia.
“Food for thought.”
In 2024, Fremantle travelled for a total of 80 hours across the season, while West Coast travelled for 77 hours, landing in first and second for distance covered across the entire year.
Collingwood travelled for just 25 hours across six away days, with the Western Bulldogs (19 hours) experiencing the least travel across the season.
