Collingwood have confirmed Graham Wright won’t be returning as their football boss after the club granted him leave to take a sabbatical overseas with his family, which drew the ire of some sections of the AFL community. Wright hadn’t stepped down from his role but has been in the United States and Europe with his wife Tracey since March.

The 56-year-old wanted a break and actually offered his resignation to the club, but it was instead decided that Wright would take a year off and come back refreshed. Wright helped mastermind Collingwood’s premiership triumph last year following 35-straight years involved in the AFL – first as a player, then in various off-field roles.

The Magpies were hopeful Wright would remain in the role after his break, but the club confirmed on Monday that he won’t be returning. “We have been in constant discussions with Graham during his sabbatical and both of us have agreed that Graham be free to pursue new opportunities to further develop his already distinguished career,” Magpies president Jeff Browne said. “All of us at Collingwood wish Graham, his wife Tracey and children James and Ethan all the best and every success for the next chapter.”

It comes after Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes criticised Wright for posting photos of his holiday on social media when his club were struggling so badly. Collingwood are set to become the third reigning premier in four seasons to miss out on the finals, and are only a mathematical chance to finish inside the top eight heading into the final round of the regular season.

Cornes thought it was a poor look for Wright to be drawing attention to his holiday when he was still technically employed in the role. “If he’s out, he’s out,” Cornes said on Channel 9 program ‘Footy Classified’ last month. “Let’s just pay him to go on a holiday and watch his Instagram clips as we’re sitting 12th on the ladder and trying to qualify for finals.

“I don’t think we begrudge anyone for going on holiday and having a break, it’s a pretty intense industry. But to see the images of him on holiday from his Instagram account, I don’t think it’s a great look when you’ve got your head of footy on holiday, posting pictures on Instagram and your side is sitting in 12th.”

When the Magpies announced Wright was taking a sabbatical last December, Collingwood chief executive Matthew Lloyd said the club wanted to “normalise this type of leave for our key people”. During Wright’s absence, the club has undertaken a back-room shuffle and his crucial role was mostly filled by assistant coach Brendon Bolton.

Last month, Essendon great Matthew Lloyd said he believes the front office changes have impacted Collingwood on the field. “The game stops for no one, Collingwood in this situation then changed everyone’s roles,” he said. “Assistant coaches changed their positions, (coaching director) Brendan Bolton changed his position, Justin Leppitsch changed his position – too much change. It just shows you need everything to go right to win a flag, they got that right last year but they haven’t this year.”

Marlion Pickett in sad announcement as Richmond rocked by spate of AFL retirements

Two-time premiership-winning Tiger Marlion Pickett has announced he will retire at the end of the AFL season, joining a long list of departures from Punt Road at year’s end. The 32-year-old will play his 91st and final game against former mentor Damien Hardwick’s Gold Coast at the MCG on Saturday.

Pickett was famously a mid-season mature-aged draftee from Western Australia who quickly took the AFL by storm after he made an incredible debut in the 2019 AFL grand final win, earning Norm Smith Medal votes. He then went back to back featuring in the Tigers’ 2020 flag triumph. Pickett said his AFL dream always looked like a long shot and looking back is so happy with his short but successful AFL career.

“It’s been a good journey… I did not even think I was ever going to get drafted,” Pickett said. “My past and the way I grew up is different to everyone else’s and it was not easy to get drafted. I got overlooked for six or seven years, and in 2019 I was about to quit all my dreams.

“I had some people in my corner, and they told me to stick at it … they told me just to give it another year. The sacrifices that we made to come across … it was all worth it.”

Richmond coach Adem Yze said Pickett will get the opportunity to bid farewell to Tigers fans this weekend. “With his story and what he’s been able to provide our footy club, he just deserves to be sent off the right way,” Yze said.

“For him to be able to walk out with his kids for one last time will be something that we’ll be really proud of.” Pickett will be farewelled this weekend alongside retired champions Dustin Martin and Dylan Grimes and ruckman Sam Naismith.

Along with the retiring quartet, there are set to be several more players heading out the door at the end of the season. In-demand quartet Shai Bolton, Daniel Rioli, Liam Baker and Jack Graham could all be playing their final game for Richmond.

Liam Baker is expected to join West Coast or Fremantle and the Eagles are also chasing free agent Jack Graham. While Bolton has indicated he would be interested in a trade back to Western Australia, despite being contracted until the end of 2029.

But Yze said the decisions around those players will be made after their final match. “We want to harness that emotion and obviously let it all out in that last game,” he said.

Post that, next week, in their exit interviews … we’ll have a function that we can get together and if any of those things start to come out and players make those announcements, we’ll be able to send them off the right way. But right now, they’re Richmond players and terrific Richmond men.”

The Tigers’ golden dynasty led by Dustin Martin, Jack Riewoldt, Alex Rance, David Astbury, Kane Lambert and Bachar Houli is well and truly in the past as the club looks set to usher in a new era under Yze. Richmond close their season against Gold Coast at the MCG while fighting an unlikely battle to avoid their first wooden spoon since 2007. They are four points and percentage below second-bottom North Melbourne, who play the rampaging Hawthorn.