Delisted Saint passes medical, set to join Victorian rival

The move will be made official November 1.

Collingwood has officially secured the services of veteran St Kilda forward Tim Membrey, with the 30-year-old set to join the Magpies as a delisted free agent on November 1.

After undergoing a successful medical assessment, Membrey will be delisted by the Saints in the coming days and is poised to don the black-and-white stripes in 2025, as confirmed by Channel 7 AFL reporter Mitch Cleary.

“It’s now a formality,” Cleary tweeted Friday morning.

“Membrey has passed required medical assessments and will join Collingwood.”

The move ends Membrey’s nine-year stint at St Kilda, where he played 167 games and kicked 280 goals. Membrey had not been offered a contract extension by the Saints, prompting him to explore other opportunities.

Despite some interest from Essendon and Carlton, it was Collingwood who moved swiftly to secure his signature, adding key forward depth to their lineup.

Membrey returned close to his best for the back half of 2024 with the Saints, booting 30 goals from 19 games; the seventh time he’s reached that tally in a season.

Having being dropped to the VFL midseason, he regained form late in the year, kicking 14 goals in the final six rounds. His strong finish undoubtedly caught the eye of the Magpies, who are looking to strengthen their forward line ahead of another premiership tilt.

Collingwood’s list manager, Graham Wright, highlighted the need for experienced forwards to complement the existing talent at the club. With Brody Mihocek turning 32 and Dan McStay recovering from an ACL injury, the Magpies were light on experienced key forward options.

Membrey is expected to fill this gap, either playing alongside Mihocek or as a third tall forward option, with Collingwood likely aiming to get 20-30 goals and a finals run out of him in 2025.

While Collingwood has an ageing roster with ten players set to be over 30 by the start of next season, Membrey’s arrival is another signal that the Magpies are focused on immediate success. The club has made other key additions in the trade period, including securing All-Australian Dan Houston and GWS utility Harry Perryman, and are intent on challenging for the 2025 premiership.

Membrey, who started his career at the Sydney Swans before moving to St Kilda in 2015 as a delisted free agent, will be joining his third AFL club.

The move will be official before November’s National Draft, where Collingwood aren’t expected to be major playmakers, holding Picks 52, 55, 58.