‘I don’t think he’ll be coaching next year’: Journo’s bold call on Buckley’s Pies future

Veteran AFL journalist Caroline Wilson believes Nathan Buckley will not be the coach of Collingwood in 2022.

Buckley is in his 10th season in charge of the Magpies – behind only premiership coaches Alastair Clarkson, Damien Hardwick, John Longmire and Chris Scott for longevity – but does not have a contract for 2022 and won’t be discussing his future plans with the club until later in the season.

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But following his comments in an AFL Media interview in the pre-season, in which Buckley said he “doesn’t have to be” coach, Wilson expects the club great to depart after the 2021 season and enter the media.

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“That’s been my gut feeling all summer,” she said on Nine’s Footy Classified.

“I’m not expecting Nathan to bang the desk and say I’m the best man for the job, but I’ve felt that all summer (he’ll leave).

“I feel as though Collingwood is at the crossroads, Scott Pendlebury is getting older – he’s their best player still – and there were so many other changes at so many levels, I just feel Nathan will go off and have a really good career in the media.

“I’m not predicting anything. I don’t think he’ll be coaching next year – but I’ve been wrong before, and I’ll be wrong again.”

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Buckley’s interview prompted questions about his hunger to remain as a senior coach, given all of the pressure that comes along with it.

“I don‘t feel like I have to be the senior coach going forward if that’s the best thing for the club and I feel that I can still impact and help the club move towards contending consistently and winning flags well then I’ll put my hand up,” the Magpies boss said.

“And if the club felt it was better to go in another direction then I would understand that.

“That conversation will be held in good faith and it‘s not something that we’ll be addressing until later in the year.”

Despite the Magpies’ decline last year, Bombers great Matthew Lloyd argued Buckley can still be one of the game’s top coaches – if he wants to be.

“If he’s hungry to do it, he’s still got it in him to be a good coach,” Lloyd said.

“It’s just whether he’s got that hunger. It’s been ten years, and Collingwood if they don’t make the finals, they may want a fresh start. He’s got a lot to give Nathan Buckley if he’s still got the hunger.”

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Wilson suggested a difficult 2020, which saw the Magpies finish eighth, deal with difficulties in the hub and then endure a tumultuous trade period, might have taken a toll on Buckley.

“Don’t you think he’d be a bit exhausted after fighting for his job last time, and keeping it, and then what went on in the off-season?” she asked.

“And the stuff he said about Treloar, and what went on there, and the Do Better report and then Eddie going. You wouldn’t blame him for being fatigued.

“Can he bounce back from that? I don’t know, personally I think he might just think enough’s enough. He got so close twice.”

Originally published asBuckley ‘won’t be coaching next year’

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