Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard is set to hold off on re-signing with the Magpies until a final decision is made on the club's vacant coaching role.
According to SEN's Sam Edmund, Maynard won't shore up his future at the Holden Centre until Nathan Buckley's successor is named.
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The 24-year-old is contracted to Collingwood until the end of the 2022 season, however has stalled contract talks with the club as he awaits to see who his new senior coach will be.
The decision comes as rival clubs begin to circle the Magpies' playing list amid belief there could be "blood in the water" at the club, according to Edmund.
Collingwood are reportedly facing further headaches to their salary cap situation this year, a scenario that saw several key names depart the nest during the 2020 trade period.
A reported 'hangover' from their prior list management structure could lead to a similar off-season for the Magpies.
“There’s still a hangover in relation to the salary cap. We’ve still got some issues we’re dealing with there, but they’re not insurmountable at all," Collingwood Collingwood football boss Graham Wright told SEN earlier this year.
14 players are currently unsigned for next season, while Will Hoskin-Elliott and Isaac Quaynor join Maynard among the list of Magpies off-contract next season.
Wright revealed last week that they hope to have their next senior coach locked in by mid-September, but remains uncertain on a timeframe.
It is understood that Collingwood have held interviews with former Brisbane coach Michael Voss and Tigers assistant Adam Kingsley for the job vacancy.
Former AFL coaches Don Pyke, Brad Scott and Mark Williams have also been tied to the role.