Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley reveals thinking behind Magpies’ weekly cultural sessions

MOVIES, stories and guest speakers have proven a key motivating factor for the Magpies as they prepare to launch into a preliminary final, in a program reminiscent of Richmond’s victorious 2017 premiership campaign.

Nathan Buckley has led Collingwood to a preliminary final. Picture: AAP Images

MOVIES, stories and guest speakers have proven a key motivating factor for the Magpies as they prepare to launch into a preliminary final.

Skipper Scott Pendlebury last week spoke of how Collingwood superfan Joffa Corfe had inspired the team to “play the Collingwood way”, with coach Nathan Buckley yesterday revealing the thinking behind the weekly cultural sessions.

And he said it has been all about encouraging players and staff members to “give a little bit of themselves”.

Collingwood cheer squad leader Joffa Corfe has been one of the guest speakers the Pies have drawn upon. Picture: Tony Gough

“We’ve had I would say somewhere between a dozen and 15 guys come and speak … people from different organisations, different parts of the football club with different perspectives about us or about life,” Buckley said on 3AW.

“(Some of them have been) things that have got nothing to do with footy or with Collingwood at all.

“The whole idea is for people to give a little bit of themselves, so the players or the staff members who are responsible for finding a speaker are finding maybe a movie to watch or a story that they think is going to be beneficial for the whole group.

“They’re sort of giving a bit of themselves and taking a bit of a risk with what they choose, as well.”

Richmond — Collingwood’s preliminary final opponent on Friday night at the MCG — adopted a similar program in its victorious 2017 campaign, in which players and staff members fronted the group to talk about their hardships, highlights and heroes.

Buckley said it was entrenched in responsibility.

“The process of that is different parts of the club taking responsibility for the club,” he said.

“The messages and themes have generally resonated, or we’ve been able to manipulate them to resonate with where we’re at at that moment and it just comes from a slightly different angle, which has been beneficial for us.”

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