All four of Adam Treloar, Tom Phillips, Mason Cox and Jaidyn Stephenson will depart Collingwood during the AFL trade period, according to former recruiter Matt Rendell.
The quartet have all been the subject of recent trade speculation and linked with moves away from the Holden Centre.
Asked on AFL Trade Radio’s Late Trade how many of the four players would be at Magpies in 2021, Rendell predicted none.
“I think all four (of Jaidyn Stephenson, Mason Cox, Adam Treloar and Tom Phillips) will go,” Rendell said.
“The only reason all four players may not go in the end would be time (left in the exchange period). That is a lot of deals to move on.
“Two of them in Treloar and Phillips were mentioned last year, Phillips and Cox have one year on their contracts left.”
Collingwood are managing a tight salary cap, with Treloar being the biggest name potentially on the move due to his lucrative back-ended contract until 2025 when it increases to around $900,000.
Former Blues boss Stephen Silvagni believes the club has lost bargaining bower due to its dire financial situation.
“When you’re pushing (players) out, you’ll find (the currency isn’t as good),” he said.
“Say someone like a Josh Dunkley or Orazio Fantasia, where the player actually wants to leave, this is a different situation (to what they’re in).
“Right now, this is the reverse where the club is pushing these players out. “It all depends on the discussion that the club has had with the management group, when it gets to this point it’s about whether the players do actually want to go (to an opposition club).
“They’re still contracted to Collingwood, but would they want to go interstate or a bottom four club? This is the thing about (Adam) Treloar especially, is Gold Coast the club he wants to go to. He wanted to come back to Melbourne to play for a big club.
“That is the difficulty clubs face in all of this, the players are still contracted, and they can stay. The club can push you out and steer then down the path, but the player still has to decide whether they want to leave and go to a different club.”
Phillips has been linked to Hawthorn, while there is no word yet on where Treloar, Cox or Stephenson could land if they depart the club.
Jordan De Goey still remains unsigned for next season, while Pies list Ned Guy confirmed earlier this week that Brody Mihocek has agreed to a three-year extension.
The AFL trade period runs until November 12.