AFL 2026: Inside Malcolm Rosas’ move to Sydney Swans, trade from Gold Coast Suns, details, Scott Pendlebury gold number 10 on jumper, In and Under collumn

Sydney’s interest in Rosas dates back to 2024 in an 18-month venture as one of several clubs that long kept tabs on the small forward and his promising VFL form.

But the Swans’ interest was always more real than anyone.

To the point that the club offered to fly him to Sydney to check out its facilities late in the 2024 season, even if he were to see out the last year of his contract at the Suns in 2025.

The idea was that the door is always open.

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It came in a year Chris Keane took over from long-time Swans list boss Kinnear Beatson and Sydney made the grand final in John Longmire’s final season as coach.

Longmire was keen on anyone with speed, while Sydney also had a crack at Bulldog Riley Garcia before he re-signed at the Kennel.

Sydney’s initial bid at least got Rosas thinking after he fell out of favour at the Suns when Damien Hardwick took the helm.

The small forward was caught off guard at his Suns exit meeting at the end of 2024, when it became apparent he didn’t suit Hardwick’s style.

There was never a feeling of disconnect with the Suns, but frustration that he wasn’t getting a game.

Rosas and his camp considered their options in that 2024 off-season and even spoke to some clubs, but the rushed nature of a potential move was too tricky.

But Rosas remained out of favour at Gold Coast in 2025 in a four-game season — three less than 2024 — including watching from the sidelines when his teammates won their first final against Fremantle.

A bunch of clubs were again keen including Sydney, Richmond, Melbourne, Essendon, Carlton, who all met with him.

A decision ultimately came down the Swans or the Tigers.

And Sydney’s club tour and a presentation led by former CEO Tom Harley at its headquarters blew him away.

It was a full wine and dine operation involving his partner, Amelia, a criminal lawyer, where Sydney pulled out all the stops.

They were picked up at the airport by Swans footy boss Leon Cameron and had lunch with Dean Cox and Chris Keane in Paddington, before doing a tour of the club.

Rosas got on well with Cox.

Sydney’s Indigenous Strategy and Player Development Manager, Jarred Hodges, was also involved to pitch how Rosas could help lead the club’s Indigenous pathways and overall plans.

It was a key opportunity for Sydney to secure Indigenous talent. As the club doesn’t have a Next Generation Academy due to its Swans Academy program, despite rich history with club greats Michael O’Loughlin and Adam Goodes.

Speaking of, Rosas also spoke with board member O’Loughlin, as well as Longmire when he visited Sydney HQ.

The impressive Harley-led presentation finished with Sydney showing its best 23 at the end with Rosas in the side and he was told he’d be there Opening Round. He got along with Cox.

The football decision came down to having a meaningful on-field role and moving to a win-now situation after Rosas had already been through a rebuild at Gold Coast.

His conversations with the Suns in the 2025 off-season were more mature and open in a mutual parting of ways, helped by him being out of contract.

Sydney just needed to get a deal done, but it was already agreed to prior to the beginning of the trade period; Rosas and Pick 62 in exchange for picks 51 and 69.

It was helped by the fact that two key figures involved, Suns list manager Craig Cameron and Leon Cameron, had a relationship from their days at GWS.

Which was a load off for Sydney given it also had to broker deals Jai Serong, and more notably, Charlie Curnow.

And so Sydney finally secured its man on a three-year deal.

As they say, the rest is history.

AFL APPROVES GOLD PENDLES NUMBER. BUT PIES YET TO CONFIRM PLANS

While the AFL has approved Scott Pendlebury to wear a specially designed gold number 10 in his record game, Collingwood is still tight lipped on its plans.

If it is to be a gold 10, don’t expect the mock up of the sparkly design on AFL Media, as the club prepares to announce arrangements next week after Pendlebury equals Brent Harvey’s 432-game record against Geelong.

It’s likely that other Collingwood players will also wear a special commeratorive guernsey for the occasion like North Melbourne had in Harvey’s milestone in 2016.

Pendlebury is likely to be rested against Sydney next week and break the record against West Coast at the MCG the following week on Saturday May 23.

In addition to getting to play in front of a full house of Collingwood fans, there’s clearly a commercial element to it, much like the specialty guernsey.

The two-week block against Sydney and West Coast falls over Sir Doug Nichols Round from rounds 10 and 11, when clubs typically wear an Indigenous-themed guernsey in their home game.

For Collingwood, that would be against the Eagles… but would they really miss an opportunity for a special Pendlebury jumper in addition to an Indigenous guernsey? The latter has already been unveiled, so expect Collingwood to don it against Sydney.

Collingwood legend Tony Shaw said he was “uncomfortable” with Pendlebury wearing an individualised jumper on the night.

“Don’t like it. I was talking to a lot of Collingwood people and deserves every accolade but I would rather see something that is more designed for the record than a gold number,” Shaw said on 3AW radio.

“It’s a team game … I broke the club record but I wouldn’t want that.

“As a leader and as someone who hopefully bases everything about team, does he feel comfortable?

“I am not saying he is making it about himself. Is this being forced on him? I’d be quite surprised that he’d be feel comfortable with it. I don’t like, I’ve have had heaps of people say to me that they don’t like it.”