STANDBY FOR FUN, SAYS BUCKS
NATHAN Buckley is drawing on broad influences to help Collingwood cope with its Grand Final heartache.
Buckley and president Eddie McGuire addressed a crowd of about 2000 at their Holden Centre headquarters yesterday.
The day after the agonising near miss against West Coast, the club’s two most prominent figures told the faithful they should be proud of their team and confident about the future.
“We didn’t get what we wanted yesterday, but we’ve got what we need for tomorrow,” Buckley said.
That message referenced the Rolling Stones song You Can’t Always Get What You Want and follows a season where Collingwood rose from 13th last year.
It overcame hardships such as Jordan De Goey’s pre-season drink-driving offence, a horror run of injuries and most recently the death of Travis Varcoe’s sister Maggie to come within five points of its 16th premiership.
At Saturday night’s post-grand final dinner, Buckley had spoken about the Japanese philosophy called kintsugi.
It is the art of repairing broken pottery where breaks or imperfections are emphasised, not disguised, and Buckley said the Magpies had used it as a theme for their campaign.
He said at the supporters’ day yesterday that he was feeling much better than the night before.
“It was pretty raw last night, I was no good,” he said.
“On reflection, I’m feeling a little bit more optimistic. I’m seeing the positives of what we’ve been able to build.”
Buckley emphasised that 2018 was only the start of something big for Collingwood.
“There’s a lot of work to do, but fuelled with that love and care for each other and the support of each other, we know we’ll attack anything in front of us with everything we have,” he said.
“I reckon it will be good fun to be a Collingwood supporter in the next little period of time.”
After coming close to being sacked last year, Buckley has enjoyed easily the best season in his six years as Collingwood coach.
Captain Scott Pendlebury was full of praise for him.
“To ‘Bucks’, this group here we love playing for you mate,” Pendlebury said on stage.
“I know we will be back bigger and better than ever and you lead this club so well and we are all so proud to play underneath you.
“You are an unbelievable coach and a better mate.”