Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley says Harry O'Brien's future is clouded

COLLINGWOOD chiefs will today meet with disgruntled defender Harry O'Brien to clarify the backman's future at the club.

Nathan Buckley

COLLINGWOOD chiefs will today meet with disgruntled defender Harry O'Brien to clarify the backman's future at the club.

Magpies coach Nathan Buckley could not guarantee O'Brien would rejoin the rest of his teammates at training tomorrow upon his return from a weekend off in Port Douglas.

O'Brien, 26, was granted personal leave after reportedly falling-out with his coach during a meeting earlier in the week.

The Magpies would not elaborate on the issue, saying only that O'Brien was left out of Collingwood's 41-point win over Carlton on Friday night because of a floating bone in his ankle.

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Magpies president Eddie McGuire yesterday expressed full confidence that Buckley would resolve the matter with the 172-gamer today, saying "these things happen at football clubs all the time".

But, when asked if he could guarantee O'Brien would attend training tomorrow, Buckley said on Triple M: "No, not definitely."

"We will catch him on Sunday and we'll go from there."

On 3AW radio, Buckley said O'Brien's return to training was "yet to be resolved ... by both parties".

The reported dispute overshadowed Collingwood's victory over Carlton, which has buried the Blues' finals hopes.

McGuire said the club would keep the subject of the dispute private.

"Things that happen inside the Westpac Centre stay inside the Westpac Centre and probably we've been too open in the past," McGuire said on Fox Footy.

"These things happen at football clubs all the time and if there is an issue we will deal with it in-house. If there is no issue we have nothing to worry about.

"Harry O'Brien I expect to be at training this week and we will get on with life."

McGuire likened the situation to Andrew Krakouer's request for a break last month.

"He (O'Brien) is in Port Douglas having a bit of a break, some R and R," McGuire said.

"Sometimes you've just got to have a bit of space."

O'Brien has been lauded for his multicultural and charity work and has overcome adversity in his football career, admitting this year he lived with some form of discrimination every day.

The Herald Sun is not suggesting any issue with Buckley is race-related.

The premiership backman also said witnessing a murder in Brazil in 2011 affected his on-field performance last year.

The Magpies' win was the second time this season Buckley's men have triumphed over Michael Malthouse's Blues.

After the match, Buckley said Collingwood had played seven of its eight youngest players and had four fewer top-10 draft picks than the Blues.

"Some scribes were saying that they (Carlton) have had a better season than us," Buckley said.

"It's not about Carlton versus Collingwood, but it's time for a reality check to assess where we are at.

"We are doing all right."

Pies thrash Blues by 41 points