At the age of 26, Scott Pendlebury has been named Captain of the Collingwood Football Club. We take a look at his path from the country to the Captain of the biggest club in the country.

Originally from Sale, Pendlebury begun his sporting career in basketball and accepted a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. However he eventually decided to make a return to competitive football and pulled out of the 12 man AIS basketball squad, and was replaced by Patrick Mills who has now gone on to become an Australian basketball superstar who plays in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs.

In 2005, Pendlebury was selected for the Under-18 Vic Country team and played two of the three games amassing an average of 17 possessions.

http://storify.com/AFLPlayers/scott-pendlebury-cfc-skipper1

He was selected to play for eventual 2005 TAC Cup premiers Gippsland Power, where he played 19 games, kicked 11 goals and averaged 22 possessions a game. Collingwood came across Pendlebury after Gippsland Power manager Peter Francis recommended both Pendlebury and his older brother Kristopher, and in the 2005 National Draft Pendlebury was drafted at pick five and was handed the number 16 guernsey which he wore for his first season before he was granted the Number 10 guernsey.

Since this time his achievements have been incredible and include the 2010 Premiership where he was awarded the Norm Smith Medal 2010, 4-time All-Australian Team, 2-time Anzac Medallist, 2-time Copeland Trophy, AFLCA Champion Player of the Year 2013,  3-time  R.T Rush Trophy, 2007 AFL Rising Star nominee, 2-time Bob Rose-Charlie Sutton Medal as well as winning the Jason McCartney Medal in 2013.

Off the field, Pendlebury has more recently become an ambassador for Be the Influence – Tackling Binge Drinking, an initiate which promotes responsible drinking and provides young Australians with the information and confidence to make their own decisions about responsible drinking behaviour.