Collingwood recruit Tim Membrey hopes for a premiership "fairytale" after successfully switching from St Kilda as a delisted free agent.
On the opening day of the first delisted free agency period, the Pies swooped on the 30-year-old key forward after the Saints decided against renewing his contract for 2025.
The 2023 premiers were candid about their desires to bring in key position players after their back-to-back chances were hindered by injuries to Brody Mihocek, Mason Cox and Dan McStay.
Heading into 2025, the Victorian powerhouse has made no secret of pushing for a second flag in three years, especially after securing duo Dan Houston and Harry Perryman during the trade and free agency period.
And now, adding Membrey to the mix, a noted goalkicker for St Kilda, Craig McRae has everything he needs at his disposal.
"It's hopefully going to be a fairytale," Membrey said shortly after joining the Pies.
"It would be nice to win one."
Membrey was a consistent feature in the Saints forward line for a decade, kicking 293 goals, including 30 in 2024.
And with the Moorabbin club heading in a new direction, the Gippsland Power product was exploring a new path of his own.
"It feels pretty surreal," Membrey said.
"They're obviously a big club... and will be a great opportunity and something I'm looking forward to.
"It happened pretty quickly. It was pretty quiet for a while there, and my manager rang me and said, 'Collingwood are pretty interested if you wanted to go have a chat'.
"I tried my best to keep it quiet, but I'm pretty excited.
"I've got some friends here and got a lot of friends who are supporters."
One of those friends is midfielder Tom Mitchell, with the pair initially linking up in Sydney when they both got drafted in 2012.
From then on, despite heading down different avenues - with Mitchell going to Hawthorn and Membrey joining St Kilda before reuniting at the AIA Centre - they still hold a close bond.
"I got drafted to Sydney and became really close with Tommy straight away," Membrey added.
"We just hit it off, and now to be rejoining him, I'm super keen to get in here, get out there and train with him and the other boys."
Membrey has penned a two-year deal at the Pies, locking him in the black and white until the end of 2026.
