Round 9 of the 2026 AFL season sets up around a single number: 432. That is Brent Harvey's all-time games record, the mark Scott Pendlebury will equal if he plays for Collingwood at the MCG against Geelong on Saturday night. The Magpies host Hawthorn on Thursday before that, but Craig McRae has signalled Pendlebury will be on the bench for that fixture before lining up against the Cats in front of a packed MCG to share the AFL's most celebrated games record. The plan is to break it the following Saturday at the same venue against West Coast in Round 11.
The Pies-Cats Fixture That Matters
Geelong host Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday 9 May at 7:35pm. The Cats sit second on the ladder at 7-1 after Round 8's 49-point demolition of North Melbourne, the Magpies hover at 6-2 after Anzac Day's record win and last week's loss to Hawthorn without Pendlebury. The bookmakers open the contest at $2.10 about the Cats favourites and $1.85 about the Pies, with the line at +6.5 the visitors' way at dabble. Bailey Smith is in form for Geelong, Jeremy Cameron sits at $7 in the Coleman Medal market with 28 goals through eight rounds, and Patrick Dangerfield's seasoning has been the unspoken Cats story of the year.
For Pendlebury, the milestone arrives 19 years after his Round 1 debut for Collingwood in March 2007 against the West Coast Eagles. He turns 38 in August. The four Anzac Day Medals make him the most decorated player in the modern era of that fixture, and the games record will sit alongside Brent Harvey's name as a shared mark for the foreseeable future. Collingwood plan a gold No. 10 guernsey for the milestone, but it will be ready in two weeks rather than this Saturday.
The Other Round 9 Stories
Hawthorn host Collingwood on Thursday night at the MCG with the Hawks installed as $1.32 favourites at Picklebet, the Pies $3.20 the underdog with the line at +13.5. Brisbane host Sydney at the Gabba on Friday at 7:50pm AEST in the contest of the round, with the Lions $1.62 about the Swans on a five-game winning streak at $2.40. The Sydney market shifted significantly after Sunday's seven-goal performance from Malcolm Rosas Jnr at the SCG. The bookmakers had Sydney at $2.50 pre-Round 8 and $2.20 by Tuesday morning. Their premiership market firmed from $7 to $5 over the weekend.
Saturday's fixtures include Adelaide hosting GWS at Adelaide Oval and St Kilda travelling to Optus Stadium to face Fremantle in the kind of Saints test that will tell us if Sunday's Carlton thumping was a one-off or the new normal. Sunday closes the round with Western Bulldogs hosting Melbourne at Marvel and Richmond travelling to face Port Adelaide.
Where the Markets Land
The premiership market sits with Hawthorn favourites at $4, Brisbane $4.50, Sydney $5 and Geelong $5.50 at Ladbrokes. Carlton at $501 are the longest priced of the eight fancied flag contenders. Their wooden-spoon market sits at $4.50 level with West Coast. The Coleman Medal market continues to favour Cameron at $5 ahead of Rosas Jnr at $26 and Charlie Curnow at $11, with Curnow battling Jake Lever for the second straight week.
Full Round 9 fixtures, team selections from Wednesday afternoon, and Pendlebury's milestone build-up coverage are at AFL.com.au. Our Round 9 tips and predictions publish across every match this week.