Players keen to keep doing it for Buckley
COLLINGWOOD’S players are intent on safeguarding Nathan Buckley’s future as coach by maintaining the recent good form, according to defender Lynden Dunn.
Buckley is in the final year of his contract and the Magpies’ poor start to the season increased the heat on him.
But three consecutive wins going into today’s Queen’s Birthday clash against Melbourne have provided some breathing space.
Dunn, who had seven senior coaches, including caretakers, in his 12 seasons with Melbourne, said it had been good to take some of the pressure off the coach.
“I have seen coaches come and go, and it’s not a good thing,” he said.
“It affects people’s lives, having seen Neale (Daniher), ‘Bails’ (Dean Bailey), and ‘Neeldy’ (Mark Neeld) go.
“As a player, you want to have a stable environment.
“You want to be winning and you kind of feel as a player like you are letting the coach down when you are not winning.
“When people speculate whether ‘Bucks’ will be here next week, or next year, or in the next few years, as a player all you want to do is play your role, put your best foot forward and make sure you don’t leave (the coach’s) fate in the hands of other people.
“We (the players) have the greatest power on the weekends.”
Dunn said Buckley was an honest coach, as evidenced by his comments last year tying his future to making finals this season.
“He tells it like it is,” he said. “He’s been great. It is nice to see the pressure has gone off him (in recent weeks).”