Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley defends his 'brat pack'

UPDATE: NATHAN Buckley has dismissed suggestions a group of senior players called the "brat pack" are agitating against cultural change.

Krak needed ?sickie?: Buckley

COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley has dismissed suggestions a group of senior players called the "brat pack" are agitating against cultural change.

The Magpies have this season enlisted the help of Leading Teams, whose leadership programs has been used to help set up premiership success at Sydney and Geelong.

Players including Dane Swan, Ben Johnson, Alan Didak and Heath Shaw have reportedly resisted moves to become more disciplined on and off the field.

Shaw was dropped, in part for missing skinfold targets, and Swan raised eyebrows when he said he was pleased to be back in the midfield after a stint forward last month.

But Buckley yesterday dismissed talk of a rift.

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 "I don't think there is enough credit given to those (senior) players," he said.

"They have been successful performers over a long period of time. They are great footballers, they are great team men, they want to be part of a successful environment. I think the supposition that they are on one road and the rest of the club is on another is totally false. It's not fair on them."

Vice-captain Scott Pendlebury said in his Herald Sun column some players were afforded a "longer leash" under previous coach Mick Malthouse. But he said the "buy-in" from players under Buckley was the best he had seen.

Buckley said the club wanted to empower players to help drive "non-negotiable" standards.

He added: "The perception that it creates and constructs robots, that you need 47 blokes who are exactly the same, that couldn't be further from the truth."

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 Buckley met Andrew Krakouer yesterday after the goalkicker requested personal leave last week.

The coach said it was understandable that Krakouer needed time away but was confident he would be available for VFL selection this weekend.

The Pies play Western Bulldogs on Sunday and it is expected Krakouer will push for senior selection after their Round 13 bye.

"He just needed the time," Buckley said. "I don't know how you guys (in the media) go about it, but you have sickies. You have people who sometimes don't feel like they can front up to do what they need to do.

"Sometimes you have days where you need the break, you need to get away.

"We manage every one of our players in that regard. We want to get the best out of all of our players and that was the right call for Krak at the time."