TIME UP FOR BUCKS?
BUCKLEY. It’s more than a name.
It is the title of the current chapter in the history of the Collingwood Football Club.
It is a word that will be the pillars of a presidency for Eddie McGuire.
It is the current path the board must choose, or the tie to sever in order to climb higher.
For the man who is Nathan Buckley, he just wants to do the best job he can with the cattle he’s got.
He knows others will take the field to give a performance worthy of a victory. It is up to others who sit around a boardroom table to decide his fate as the senior coach.
He is well aware that others have compiled the statistics for and against him keeping his job.
It says a lot about the person who is able to stay clear to the goal of coaching, winning, developing and improving. Improving? Have they been? The statistical nuts will suggest not. He’s taken a team fresh from a grand final to currently sit in 15th spot.
But the games the club has lost this year, nine so far, with the biggest losing margin only 31 points, haven’t been blowouts worthy of a midweek coach sacking.
Where would removing Buckley from the top job leave the club?
It’ll mean a fresh start for everyone, but a significant failure, perceived or otherwise, for Buckley in his first role as a senior coach.
But this year, more so than last year, Buckley seems to have the players playing for him.
The style he’s got them playing is able to win games, but it is the quality of the defence that has let the team down.
Lyndon Dunn is a good stopgap, just as he was at Melbourne, but he’s not a developing backman. Jeremy Howe is a terrific mark and marketing tool for the club, but his defensive pressure is not good enough.
The team doesn’t have a rock solid row of defenders. Buckley needs one. The recruiting of recycled players has had questionable impact. Dunn, Chris Mayne, Jesse White, Howe and Daniel Wells haven’t proved that the premiership is a cake walk. But can Buckley be blamed for Mayne, an ageing Docker on a $2 million four-year deal? No, the recruiters need to take the fall for that one. You’ve got to hand it to the coach of the Magpies for clearing out the rat pack of seven years ago. There was a disruptive clique at the club back then and Buckley knew its modus operandi. Have fun, muck around, then play football. Buckley was focused purely on playing the game, so comprehending players viewing the game not as their sole ideal was difficult for him.
Slowly, he weeded the weeds and tried to grow a fresh crop. Some crops take time. Six years is probably a long time to wait for flowers to bloom, but getting the right mix doesn’t happen in a heartbeat.
I trust McGuire will make the right decision for his beloved black and white. I don’t believe he’ll replace his great friend for the sake of it. An incoming coach will need to blow Buckley out of the water with credentials, passion and success.
There’s not too many waiting in the wings with the ability to swoop in and bring this club back up the ladder quickly.
Buckley has evolved his coaching styles, remodelled his coaching group and has been honest with his success measurements. He said if there are no finals for the team this year then he’s likely to lose his job.
I’m not convinced though. He is smart enough to have mapped out the future, near and far for this group.
But we come back to the name, the question, and the future.
Buckley, Buckley Buckley, just what are his chances of keeping his job?