Nathan Buckley had an unplanned encounter with Damien Hardwick’s wife

NATHAN Buckley has enough to worry about trying to turn around Collingwood’s poor start to the year, so why was he calling a rival coach’s wife?

Ahoy hoy?

COMPETITION has rarely been so fierce in the AFL but camaraderie between coaches has never been so strong.

Richmond have copped the brunt of early-season scrutiny following a 1-5 start, with the pressure on coach Damien Hardwick building after every loss.

Hardwick, who described the past week as “a bit of a hurricane” outside the club, thanked counterparts Alastair Clarkson and Nathan Buckley for their support.

Clarkson has been Hardwick’s long-time mentor and friend — their discussions are nothing new. But Buckley’s call was a sign of the times according to both men.

“The one thing I think the Coaches Association has grown is — look we want to kill each other on the weekend but I think as a group of men we’ve started to understand,” Hardwick said.

“We’re all in these situations at some stage so we lean on each other a lot more than we used to.

“We’ve become closer in that regard.”

Buckley agreed, suggesting the AFL Coaches Association (AFLCA) has developed a lot since he was first appointed Mick Malthouse’s successor in 2011.

“The comment I did make to him is that a couple of years ago, I wouldn’t have really had a great deal of empathy for opposition coaches,” Buckley said.

Buckley needs his players to lift their game.

“It was just like, they’re the things you’re going to go through — ups and downs, highs and lows.

“(But now the 18 coaches) are as tight as I’ve felt in my five years ... it just felt like it was the right time to just say g’day and check how things are going.”

However, Buckley’s attempt to contact Hardwick wasn’t all smooth sailing.

When the former Collingwood midfielder first expressed his desire to reach out to the Richmond boss, he asked AFLCA chief Mark Brayshaw for his number. Brayshaw duly obliged, or so he thought.

It turns out Brayshaw actually gave Buckley the phone number of Hardwick’s wife — an innocent mistake we’re sure.

“Why Mark Brayshaw has got my wife’s number, I’m not too sure,” Hardwick laughed.

Hardwick noted his friendship with Clarkson would be put on hold for a couple of hours on Friday night, when their two sides face off at the MCG.

“Every week I rock into his house and he’s got his four premiership medals on the bloody mantelpiece. It kills me every time,” he said.

Hardwick’s speeches haven’t done the trick this year.

Richmond sit 15th on the ladder after six rounds — a far cry from where they’d have hoped to be. For the past three seasons they’ve been bundled out of the competition in the first week of the finals, and this was supposed to be the year they broke that curse and went deeper into September.

Richmond believed Hardwick was the man to steer them beyond just an appearance in an elimination final, extending his contract for a further two years back in March. Whether he’ll survive to see out that extension if the Tigers’ poor form continues remains to be seen.

Buckley is also under the pump. Collingwood are 2-4 to start the season — putting them 13th, and with the Pies failing to make the finals in the past two years, a third underperforming campaign could see one of the club’s favourite sons facing a battle to stay at the helm in 2017.

— with Rob Forsaith, AAP

Originally published as Nathan Buckley had an unplanned encounter with Damien Hardwick’s wife