Heat’s on Buckley in many ways

A MID-WINTER escape to the Gold Coast has extra meaning for Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley as speculation ramps up about his AFL future.

The Suns will host Collingwood on Saturday and Buckley will appreciate the trip for a lot more than just the weather.

Whatever happens at Metricon Stadium, the away match will give Buckley and his team a couple of days respite from the intensity of the game’s Melbourne heartland.

The Magpies have lost their past four matches and are languishing in 15th place with a 5-10 record, their finals chances shot.

Buckley felt that their loss to arch rivals Essendon on Saturday was a tipping point for his underperforming team.

“The job now is to spend the next 48 hours having a look at how we can possibly refresh, energise, change up a few things, reframe and give the players something to achieve over the next seven weeks,” he said.

Asked about his own future, Buckley said he was “pragmatic but not defeatist” and would continue to focus on improving his team.

The off-contract coach admitted the ongoing speculation about his job had taken a toll on his players.