AFL great Leigh Matthews says it would be wrong for Collingwood to allow Scott Pendlebury to make his own call on his playing future, declaring the Magpies needed to deliver honest feedback.Pendlebury, 38, was hurt in the Magpies’ 63-point loss to Brisbane on Friday night, finishing the contest on the bench with a knee bursa issue, that is swelling near the joint.Scott Pendlebury walks from the ground with his Collingwood playing future in doubt.Getty ImagesThe Magpies also have concerns the former skipper has a hamstring strain, scans to confirm whether he has any chance to play in next weekend’s wildcard round.Should Pendlebury not play and the Magpies lose, the league’s all-time games record holder may have suited up for the last time at Collingwood, for he does not have a contract for next season.He is set to become an unrestricted free agent, with several clubs linked to his services if he opts to play elsewhere in 2027.Magpies president Barry Carp said on Friday night that the choice was in Pendlebury’s hands, but Matthews, the 1990 Magpies premiership coach, said any decision should largely be the club’s call.“Not in my opinion, it’s never the player’s call,” Matthews told 3AW on Saturday.“But Scott Pendlebury is a high-class person. If [coach] Craig McRae and the football people said: ‘We think it’s probably time’, I think he would accept that. And that’s the way the conversation should go.“But a player just can’t say: ‘I want to play, I don’t care if you don’t think I am up to it, I just want to play and I want a contract.’“But even Barry Carp, I don’t think he would go that far. I think if the football department said: ‘No, we just think it’s time’, I probably suspect Scott Pendlebury would accept that himself.“It’s a joint conversation but it can’t be unilaterally the player decides, otherwise he would play until he is 50.“Pendlebury has said if his body feels fine, he would commit to playing on. The Gold Coast Suns and Essendon have been linked to the two-time premiership player, the latter in a deal which could have him become an assistant coach.Matthews said the Magpies’ coaches would need to be honest with Pendlebury. “It should be a choice but sometimes players have to be told what you are observing from those who are running the team,” Matthews said. “You try to do it diplomatically but you also have to be honest and say, and use Scott as an example: ‘We think it’s time, we don’t want to be playing half a year in the reserves’, for instance. I think most players would accept that from their coaches.The Magpies will play either Carlton or the Western Bulldogs next weekend. Pendlebury’s finals campaign last year ended early in the preliminary final when he strained a calf.