Nathan Buckley reaches 200-game milestone as coach as his journey for that elusive flag continues
Nathan Buckley has coached 200 games and spent almost 25 years at Collingwood, and is still chasing an elusive premiership. Read the column that fired Bucks up on Sunday night.
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Nathan Buckley coaches his 200th game on Sunday.
Gone quick? Life always seems to be on high rotation, but for Buckley, and for any coach for that matter, there’s probably some years, if not some weeks, that pass painfully slowly.
This is his ninth year as senior coach.
Before that, he was assistant coach to Mick Malthouse for two years.
Before that, he played 260 games over 14 years.
This is his 25th year at Collingwood and it barely needs to be said that Buckley has not won a flag as either player or senior coach.
Nathan Buckley responded to this column after Collingwood’s win over the Blues. Watch in the video player above
In 2012, just weeks out from making his coaching debut, he described the pain of missing a premiership as a player.
“There is no way I can possibly fill that void,” Buckley said.
“Being a premiership player is something you get the opportunity to do while you are in the best athletic and physical years of your life. I don’t get the chance to fill that void.’’
The void remains unfulfilled as coach.
The fact is, Buckley has played/coached the most AFL games — 479 — without winning a premiership.
It’s a staggering figure for a player of the utmost quality and persistence and for a coach who, in recent seasons, has been at the top of his game.
Buckley is a Collingwood institution.
And so, too, is Eddie McGuire. This is his 21st season as president. The younger generation wouldn’t know a Collingwood without McGuire, and most of the rest of us can’t imagine Collingwood without Buckley.
McGuire is a one-time premiership president. He won in 2010.
That was just the second premiership — the other being 1990 under coach Leigh Matthews — the Pies have won since 1958. That’s two in 62 years.
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It’s unlikely there will be a third this year.
And so, Buckley will enter his 10th season as coach in 2021.
Ten years is usually the outer limit of a senior coaching career at one club, but it’s possible Buckley might just be getting started.
Rodney Eade has coached the most AFL games (377) without winning a flag, and in late 2011 was football and coaching strategist at Collingwood.
He sees Buckley as a long-term coach.
“I think he’s got a lot of years left in him,’’ Eade said.
“He’s gone through different cycles. He’s turned the list over to be his list, he inherited a strong squad and, for whatever reason, that worked in part and not a lot.
“Then ’18 was the culmination where they could’ve won it. Were a good chance last year as well.
“He’s on top of his game.
“This year for whatever reason looks like it will be unsuccessful. Do they make a charge at the end?
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“I don’t know. I’d be prepared to not be too fazed about this year, as such. His previous two years were very good and he’s proved he can revamp lists.
“Overall, if you take it as three years, he’s coached very well and I think he’s got another 10 years.’’
At Collingwood?
“I wouldn’t say that because you never know what’s going to happen,’’ Eade said.
“It’s a long time to be 19 years at one club, and if you don’t win a flag, even though you’re a favourite son, things can change pretty quickly.’’
An example of that is Leon Cameron at Greater Western Sydney.
Last year his team made the Grand Final, but 13 rounds into this year there’s opinion about whether he should keep his job.
If Buckley is pushed or resigns at Collingwood, Eade says another team would hire him.
“If things don’t work at Collingwood in the next two, three, four, five years, I would think he would get another job,’’ Eade said.
Premiership captain Tony Shaw coached Collingwood for four seasons, 1996-99. He says he’s not liking Buckley’s slow ball movement this year — and that injuries to key players hurt the team — but agrees with Eade about Buckley’s coaching ability.
“But it’s a long time without winning a premiership,’’ Shaw said.
“In his sixth year, I thought he was very lucky to survive, but he did. I think he learnt, and he was lucky to have that long to learn, and I think he was pretty honest in front of the group, and said he had to be closer to them and get the best out of them as people, as much as players.
“That’s what happened, and the players play for him. I haven’t heard any rumblings that say the opposite.’’
Buckley needs a flag. The past two seasons delivered a Grand Final — beaten by a kick — and a preliminary final, but even playing deep into September does not guarantee a long-term future.
“It comes down to win-loss and in the end, if you’re not getting that edge …. you might be close, you might be getting close, and Ross Lyon is the greatest example, you survive, but in the end it gets you anyway,’’ Shaw said.
“Leigh Matthews always said 10 years was enough at any club, and he did that right on the dot at both his clubs.”
Shaw heaped praise on Buckley for changing the Collingwood culture.
“He had to, because it wasn’t working the way it was going,” Shaw said.
“He had to learn the players are players, and you’ve got to see all facets, not just the football side.’’
Buckley is contracted until the end of 2021 and Shaw believes a new contract should not be tabled early next season.
“It gets to the point, no matter how close you can get in the end … it’s a bloody cruel industry,” he said.
“If they don’t make the finals this year and they don’t make it next year … I’m not saying he’s not going to get a contract, but you wouldn’t jump and sign it early.’’
mark.robinson@news.com.au
Originally published as Nathan Buckley reaches 200-game milestone as coach as his journey for that elusive flag continues