The future of Scott Pendlebury has been confirmed with the Collingwood champion to play at Gold Coast next season.

“Pendlebury has agreed to a two-year playing deal — which will take him beyond the age of 40 — then a two-year assistant coach role at Gold Coast,” gun 7NEWS sports reporter Tom Morris revealed on Saturday. 

All eyes were on Pendlebury on Friday night after the team’s heartbreaking loss to the Western Bulldogs ... and coach Craig McRae dodged questions about the 38-year-old’s next move in his post-match press conference.

Pendlebury missed the wildcard clash with a hamstring injury, and had been increasingly linked with a move to Gold Coast in a playing-coaching role.

Some fans and Collingwood insiders were hoping he stayed at the club, but the AFL games record holder and former captain obviously departs with their blessing.

“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,” 7NEWS reporter Xander McGuire said on Friday night after the loss to the Bulldogs.

“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.

“They’re going to make this call fast I think.”

McRae said after the game Pendlebury knew how much he was loved at Collingwood but, in a telltale sign, refused to comment on his future.

“That’s going to take its own course now. Their management was saying that they’ll speak to it at the end of the season, now here we are, so I assume that’ll happen reasonably quickly,” McRae told reporters.

“I don’t know. Again, it’s not my department, but I have had many conversations with Pendles throughout that time, and yeah, I won’t. I won’t project or add opinions of things until they’re factual.

“So I’ll just, I’ll just give it a bit of space on that. I’ve made many comments in the last couple of weeks around Pendles and how much we love him, and I’ll just leave it at that for now.”

Morris had previously reported that the Suns were “chips in” on landing the 442-game veteran.

“I can’t overestimate this – they are all in for Scott Pendlebury. They want him to play for them next year. The Suns would love Pendlebury to play next year at the club,” Morris said.

“Whether this involves a coaching deal beyond that, I’m sure that will all be sorted out.

“The belief is that he is at least a reasonable chance, maybe even slightly better to look at that deal seriously in the next few weeks when he makes a call at the end of the season. Collingwood or Gold Coast.”

Pendlebury will go down in Collingwood’s history as one of their most decorated players.

He is a six-time All-Australian, has won five club best-and-fairest awards, a Norm Smith Medal and four Anzac Day Medals.

His fourth Anzac Day best-on performance came just this year when he wound back the clock with a whopping 43 disposals that included two goals.

Collingwood also farewelled Pendlebury’s great mate Steele Sidebottom after the wildcard clash.

“I’m just shattered for the boys,” the 35-year-old Sidebottom 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.”