Collingwood is set to face some of its tougher list calls in recent times as a host of club stalwarts near retirement and none bigger than Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom.
The legendary Pies duo are set to play their 301st game as teammates (equalling Adam Goodes and Jude Bolton in third) on Sunday when they face Richmond at the MCG as the light flickers on season 2024.
However, coach Craig McRae rejected the thought of putting a line through the current campaign, but also kept the door slightly ajar for the return of its favourite sons next year.
"I'm speaking with Steele and 'Pendles' regularly, like weekly and fortnightly, not just about the future but about the now," McRae said on Friday.
"But we're not there yet ... respectfully, we want to honour our greats and those two in particular, they live in that bracket.
"Funnily enough when it's a premiership list it's bulletproof, and then when it's not, it's got holes everywhere in it.
"But we're going to have a bit more of a futuristic look at that ... I'll leave that to others to make all those finite details.
"We'll be collective on making sure we get the right direction for this footy club."
It comes as Pendlebury nears another huge milestone of game 400 when the Pies take on arch-rivals Carlton in Round 21.
The 36-year-old will become the sixth player in the game's history to reach the feat, joining the likes of Brent Harvey (432), Michael Tuck (426), Shaun Burgoyne (407), Kevin Bartlett (403) and Dustin Fletcher (400).
There is a real belief that Pendlebury is eyeing off Harvey's all-time AFL record but would likely need a 2024 and 2025 finals campaign along with an injury-free 15 months of football.
Collingwood will also need to decide on the futures of Jack Bytel, Joshua Eyre, Jeremy Howe, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Aiden Begg, Charlie Dean, Nathan Kreuger, Ned Long, Cooper Lord, Reef McInnes, Joe Richards, Oscar Steene and Lachie Sullivan, who all are without deals beyond this year.
