BUCKLEY STAYS MAGPIES COACH
NATHAN Buckley has a two- year AFL coaching extension, three months after he expected to be sacked.
Despite missing the finals for the fourth straight year, Collingwood have decided to stick with Buckley.
President Eddie McGuire said the Magpies looked outside the club, but insists they had not spoken to prospective coaches or made any offers.
It is a year since Buckley famously said he would not survive unless Collingwood made the finals this season.
Instead they finished 13th in his sixth year as Magpies coach – the fourth straight season they have not made the top eight.
Buckley said at yesterday’s announcement that his situation changed once the club made the mid- season decision to have a wide- ranging review of its football department.
Football director Geoff Walsh, who oversaw the review, recommended that Buckley keep his job.
“I would have thought that halfway through this year, it would have been very hard to see me in the role,” he said.
“It’s probably the board looking to analyse a little bit deeper about why we’re in the situation we’re in ... probably the advent of the review process has provided me with the opportunity to continue in my role.
“If there wasn’t that, it would only be wins and losses, it would only be expectation versus performance. I think in many ways, we’ve got the expectation wrong.”
Buckley met the board on Sunday, a day after their season ended with the upset win over Melbourne, and a few hours later McGuire conveyed the good news.
McGuire rang him three times without an answer – Buckley’s phone was on silent. Eventually he had to ring Buckley’s wife Tania.
Along with the months of speculation about Buckley’s future, there has been talk that the Magpies were looking at potentially poaching a rival coach.
“I’m not going to answer that question,” McGuire said when asked about looking elsewhere.
“I will put it to you – do you look around and see what’s around? Of course you do.
“Have I backtracked on my own answer? Probably a little bit.”
McGuire also was adamant they never went further than looking. Walsh said the review had been farreaching and was encouraged by the responses from players and staff.
He said while they are doing plenty right, there was feedback on every aspect of the football department.