Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley on ‘asterisk’ 2020 premiership, worry for players in isolation
Nathan Buckley says he would embrace an “asterisk” premiership if the Pies were to salute in the coronavirus-affected season, detailing his “overwhelming anxiety” trying to connect with players and staff during the shutdown.
Collingwood
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Nathan Buckley says he would have no qualms winning an “asterisk” premiership as he reflected upon his own anxieties in keeping connected with Collingwood staff and players.
Buckley said that the team that came out of the likely months-long shutdown could have a decisive advantage on rivals for what is set to be a condensed flag campaign.
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The Pies are less worried about the fitness of their players in the early weeks of the shutdown as getting them into daily routines that maximise their mental health and connectedness.
But for clubs like Collingwood, superb in Round 1 and aware their premiership window will not last forever, there will still be a sense that they cannot let 2020 go to waste.
Buckley said despite talk this year’s premier might not as worthy Collingwood would do all it could to maximise the potential of its season.
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“Right now we are making sure we look after today as well as we possibly can and keeping our players in great mental and emotional shape. And potentially whatever season 2020 looks like, the sides who are in contention are the sides who handle this particular reality really well.
“We do have momentum over a longer time line in the last couple of seasons and great belief and confidence in our capacity on the field and off the field to come back to each other.
“I think it stands us in good stead to go through this period. I have heard the asterisk label bandied around and it’s a different season but we would be happy to have an asterisk next to our name.”
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The Pies senior coach says Collingwood’s players will remain in shape after returning from recent summers in good nick, but the main priority was to have them happy, healthy and doing some regular exercise.
He is one of the club’s skeleton staff but admits he has been thrown a curve ball by a season that at times has had him wondering if he is doing enough to help players.
“We don’t know how much contact (with players) is too much or too little. I am averaging 15 phone calls a day at the moment with players and staff. Driving home a couple of days ago at 5.30pm or 6pm I had an overwhelming anxiety around there being 10 or 12 people I needed to talk to and check in on how they were going,” he said.
“You take away the normal structure. Normally we would know we had a meeting the next day and whether it’s a top on the arse or pat on the back or nod or wink, that’s connecting with people in the same space.
“The reality is different for us at the moment and we take the responsibility to stay home and isolate as seriously as anything we have ever done before.”
The silver lining for Collingwood is the extra time to rehabilitate for players including Lynden Dunn (ACL), Tom Langdon (knee), Levi Greenwood (ACL) and Travis Varcoe (shoulder).
Star midfielder Adam Treloar and partner Kim Ravaillion welcomed daughter Georgie into the world the day after the season shut down and have blessed time to be able to spend with their baby.
“That happened pretty much the day after the call came out the season was suspended. I am sure Ads and Rav weren’t thinking too much about what they were missing out on.
“I am sure they have the capacity to narrow their focus on their little one and I am pretty sure they are living in their bubble and loving it and the rest of the world doesn’t really matter.”