Nathan Buckley at a turning point entering seventh season as Collingwood coach

BAD stories make headlines. Good stories make history. What will be the Nathan Buckley story in his seventh season as Collingwood coach?

TWO scenarios present themselves for Collingwood and Nathan Buckley on day one of his seventh season in charge.

His reappointment at the end of last season for two more years will either be a hazardous decision with widespread consequences or the turning point in what could be one of the most extraordinary stories in AFL history.

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Bad stories make headlines.

Good stories make history.

If Buckley can reverse the downward spiral, get the Magpies into the finals and — don’t shake your head — win the premiership this year or next, it will be Buckley’s greatest achievement in football, notwithstanding his absolutely brilliant playing career.

That the narrative is about Buckley and not his players on the eve of Round 1 against Hawthorn, which Buckley has noted, shouldn’t surprise anyone including himself.

From the beginning, when he agreed to play for North Melbourne, ended up at Brisbane, and then departed for Collingwood after 12 months, he has and still remains one of the most intriguing and conversed figures in football.

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley faces another year of intense scrutiny. Picture: Michael Klein

And why is that? Maybe it’s jealousy. Maybe it was his unrelenting quest to get the best out of himself as a player, which for a time created a perception he was more “I” than “team”. Maybe people just don’t like his demeanour, or his insatiable standards of professionalism, or maybe they just don’t like Collingwood, where Buckley has devoted his AFL career.

He survived last year and good on him, but even he would probably concede if his name wasn’t Nathan Buckley, he wouldn’t be a getting a seventh and eighth season.

He arguably got the job again because of his profile — and Eddie McGuire’s desire to see the Malthouse-Buckley handover succeed. But, at the same time, it’s that profile which makes him the most talked about person in football.

In other words, if he was Mark Neeld or Matthew Knights or Scott Watters, there’s no way he would still be coaching.

And, so, the travails of Bucks begin again.

In fact, some say they have already began.

Colleague Gerard Whateley says the “blood riding” on Buckley from members of the media before a game had been played this year is outrageous.

I disagree because it’s more reality riding.

For most coaches and clubs, when one season ends and another starts, it presents a narrative of hope and expectation.

But for Buckley, who spent much of the 2017 season drowning under the weight of results from last year and previous seasons and the subsequent commentary, the new season has only allowed him to come up for air.

All coaches are under pressure, but Buckley, fairly or unfairly, does carry the torch for fierce examination.

Buckley knows that. He’s known it for 25 years.

Asked this week by Whateley if he thinks people are waiting for him to fail, Buckley said: Always.

Nathan Buckley watches a pre-season intraclub game.

Another question which arguably is more to the point is: Does he think people are waiting for him to succeed?

The answer, of course, is yes.

There are a million Collingwood fans who want him to nail this. There are others who know him to be a caring, funny, intelligent person who simply want the worm to turn for him.

Clearly, we are seeing a different Buckley this year.

He says he won’t get caught up in the “outside noise”. It means he won’t respond to every observation made about Collingwood. For example, Jonathan Brown’s attack on training standards at the one session Brown was at was irrelevant according to Buckley.

Commentary of Jordan De Goey’s suspension? Irrelevant, says Buckley.

Whether he should play Darcy Moore as a defender, Mason Cox as full-forward, rejig his midfield and halfbacks? All irrelevant, says Buckley.

Simply, football will do Collingwood’s talking this year and Buckley will bite his tongue.

He probably hopes Eddie will follow suit and avoid unnecessary headlines. But Ed being the passionate man he is, as well as being conflicted by his roles in the media, that might be wishful thinking.

Darcy Moore (left) will give Jeremy Howe some help in defence this year.

On Saturday night the Pies meet Hawthorn and already Buckley is cursed.

There are issues about Buckley’s game plan, and why his midfield can sabotage the ball, but I can’t remember a coach who has been savaged by player injuries as Buckley has been across several seasons.

Alex Fasolo (form), Tyson Goldsack (ACL), Levi Greenwood (knee), Jamie Elliott (ankle) and De Goey (hamstring) are all starting 18 players who will miss Round 1.

De Goey would have played if not for his injury. The “indefinite” ban for drink-driving would have been over; the media would have howled and Buckley would have said, again, it’s irrelevant.

The missing players puts pressure on those playing, and that’s a good thing.

Because while Buckley commands attention for the man he is and his results as coach, the players must also face examination.

Perhaps it’s time they do the talking, starting this weekend, to set the ball rolling from ordinary to the extraordinary.