Buckley in clear over fist bump

THE fan on the receiving end of Nathan Buckley’s postmatch fist-bump has revealed the Collingwood coach declined his offer of a handshake that would’ve landed the Magpies in hot water again.

The supporter was David Hamzy, a lifelong Collingwood supporter and Club 42 coterie member who has attended the past 33 Copeland Trophy nights. Hamzy lives in Melbourne but has been in Adelaide the past five weeks – after serving a self-quarantine period and undergoing three COVID tests – to care for his elderly parents.

The AFL pored over Fox Footy footage of the exchange at Adelaide Oval and said Buckley was in the clear because the league was satisfied that no handshake occurred. Buckley confirmed it was a ‘fist bump’ and said that he knew Hamzy.

“Over 20 years ago he said he was watching football in a bar, defended me to a group of patrons, was subsequently set on and bashed losing his sense of taste and smell,” Buckley tweeted.

The Magpies tragic revealed the incident occurred in Sydney back in 1996, following a clash that the Swans won by 34 points. Hamzy was in the SCG stands that day as Buckley kicked two goals from 28 disposals and Tony Lockett was best-afield with 8.5.

“Unfortunately that night I had a bit too much to drink, and I had an argument with another Collingwood fan because she thought as a footballer (Buckley) didn’t do anywhere near as much as he should,” Hamzy said. “The situation was I had an argument with her and got booted out of this well-known joint in Kings Cross. I was walking down the street and I bumped into this bloke, and he turned around and hit me. I was in a hospital for three days in a coma and nearly dead.”

He awoke with no recollection of the incident, which ended up before the courts.

Hamzy was relieved Buckley remembered the AFL’s strict protocols and thrilled the coach singled him out after Tuesday night’s victory.