What is Nathan Buckley’s coaching identity? David King looks at the under pressure Collingwood coach
NATHAN Buckley the player was exulted not just at Collingwood, but across the AFL. Nathan Buckley, the coach, so far is a vastly different story.
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NATHAN Buckley the player was exulted not just at Collingwood, but across the AFL.
As a media performer Buckley is highly regarded, always presents impeccably and is more articulate than most when explaining our great game.
Nathan Buckley, the coach, so far is a vastly different story.
Collingwood has slid year on year over the past five seasons as the one step backwards, two steps forward blueprint of 2012/2013 has stalled.
BAD LUCK: PIES INJURIES NO EXCUSE FOR DIRE SEASON
PRESSURE BUILDS: BUCKLEY ‘ABSOLUTELY’ FEELS PRESSURE
The slide from 16 wins to 14, 11, 10 and currently 8 with three rounds to go is enormous.
That isn’t one step back, it’s more like 10.
They now have the challenge of fighting their way back from a no man’s land ladder position.
What is Nathan’s coaching identity? What is his on-field trademark, his unique stamp?
All the great coaches have altered the course of the AFL game through innovation and foresight.
Nathan has coached 107 games of AFL football and to be brutally honest, we’re yet to identify it with any certainty.
Nathan Buckley’s teams have rarely owned a key indicator for success, apart from pressure.
A tackle pressure which Nathan himself proclaims doesn’t correlate to winning. Do we talk about the pressure Hawthorn places on its opponents?
Rarely, because we focus on Hawthorn’s clear and obvious brand. Pressure and effort aren’t solely brands of football, they’re non-negotiables.
Is this finally Nathan Buckley’s list? Collingwood have regenerated under Buckley’s tutelage with a penchant to remain young, almost spooked by age, or is youth easier to work with? More pliable?
Over the past five seasons Collingwood’s selected 22 players have rated 14th, 8th, 13th, 15th and again this year 15th for age experience. They’re young but is there enough genuine quality to bank upon a rise into finals in 2017? Youth doesn’t solve all problems.
Not forgetting Collingwood traded last year’s first round pick as well as their upcoming first round selection in the national draft when securing Adam Treloar.
This current list will ultimately decide Nathan Buckley’s coaching term.
In an era where ball movement is King, Buckley has struggled to devise a viable ball movement pattern.
Collingwood rated 15th and 16th over the past two seasons at moving the football. Who are their weapons down back to slice and dice their opposition on counter attack?
Buckley gave up on the space guarding defensive mechanism that is common around the league for a one-on-one model. Was it all too hard? Will it return next season?
Remember, Adam Simpson made an identity for himself with the “Eagles Web”.
Admittedly the Pies personnel down back was on high rotation as youngsters filled experienced positions but they’re being picked apart as the opposition moves the football downfield with efficiency.
Defensively Collingwood has rated AFL 11th at denying opposition ball movement over the past two seasons. It’s just not effective.
They must reset their grid defence or fear playing an extinct brand of football.
The Magpie forward line is a mess. They’ve been left behind as the competition demands greater scoreboard returns than the Magpie can deliver.
Twenty-year-old Darcy Moore is the shining light in a forward line that simply hasn’t fired for years.
They’ve never been proficient in turning an inside 50m entry into a goal under Nathan Buckley, rating 9th, 13th, 14th, 10th and 14th over the past five seasons.
Injuries have played their part but their forward line pressure fails to produce. Collingwood ranks 13th for forward-half intercepts and even lower — 15th — for turning those intercepts into a score.
There’s a perception that Buckley has a desire to coach every detail of the game. This requires meeting after meeting — and we know players don’t like meetings.
It’s not a fun environment, the Holden Centre.
I’m left wondering, where is Collingwood’s strength? When will we see it? Why should we just accept that because they’re young they’ll improve and climb up the ladder?
Has Collingwood’s injuries been worse than most clubs? Possibly, but they’ve played the equal 10th amount of players used in the selected 22 since 2014. Maybe it’s the quality of those absent.
LIST CHANGES: SHAW SAYS PIES MAY NEED 10 LIST CHANGES
FADE OUT: BUCKLEY SLAMS THREE QUARTERS OF TERRIBLE FOOTBALL
AFL clubs are big businesses and they’re critiqued with an often unfair level of scrutiny, but it’s accepted by all and Nathan Buckley is only 10 games from that special, searing heat that a losing season can bring.
Travis Auld may just have the biggest influence on Buckley’s coaching tenure as he now controls the AFL fixture.
He will dictate whether Buckley has a fighting chance in 2017. Imagine if Bucks is 0-5 after a tough start?
If Nathan Buckley’s coaching career ceased today, what would the evaluation be?
Assessing a coach is never a popular exercise and I don’t expect much positive feedback. Nathan may go on to be a hall of fame coach but right now there’s work to be done.
A finals absence for Nathan Buckley next season and there’ll be no coming back.
Originally published as What is Nathan Buckley’s coaching identity? David King looks at the under pressure Collingwood coach
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