Collingwood Cuts Six Players as List Reset Begins

Collingwood has moved swiftly at the end of its 2026 campaign, cutting six players from its list in a decisive first step towards next season.

Former second-round pick Jakob Ryan and ex-cricketer Wil Parker headline the departures, with Lachie Sullivan, mid-season draftee Mitch Podhajski, defender Joel Cochran and ruck Iliro Smit also delisted.

It’s a sharp reminder of how quickly the landscape can shift at a club chasing sustained success.

Ryan and Parker among notable exits

Ryan arrived at the club with promise as the No.28 pick in the 2022 draft, a running defender seen as part of Collingwood’s next wave. He managed just one AFL appearance, in 2023, and never quite forced his way back into the senior side.

Parker’s story carried a different kind of intrigue. Recruited as a Category B rookie after a cricket career with Victoria, he made the rare leap from state cricket to AFL football. Across three seasons he pieced together 14 senior games, showing glimpses of his athletic edge but ultimately falling short of a longer-term spot in the Magpies’ best 22.

Sullivan, a hard-working midfielder, departs after 26 senior games. He featured only twice at AFL level this year, squeezed by depth and competition in the engine room as Collingwood refined its on-ball mix.

Podhajski’s time in black and white was brief but eventful. Selected in May’s mid-season draft as a mature-ager, he earned two AFL games and added depth through the middle and forward of the ball before becoming part of this latest cull.

Depth options moved on

Cochran and Smit leave without an AFL appearance but played their roles in the club’s broader program.

Cochran, taken with pick 47 in the 2024 draft, developed as a defender in the VFL system, while Smit arrived via the mid-season draft as a ruck option but never broke through to senior level.

List boss Justin Leppitsch paid tribute to the group as Collingwood confirmed the changes.

"On behalf of everyone at Collingwood, we would like to sincerely thank Joel, Wil, Mitch, Jakob, Iliro and Lachie for their dedication and contribution to our Football Club," Leppitsch said.

"Each of them has played an important role across both our AFL and VFL programs, and they should be incredibly proud of the commitment, professionalism and character they have shown throughout their time in black and white."

The decisions clear space on the list and sharpen the club’s hand ahead of the trade, free agency and draft periods. The human cost is real, as six careers in black and white come to an abrupt halt, but Collingwood’s next move is already in motion: who comes in to fill the gaps they’ve just created?