Board manoeuvring no distraction for Buckley’s battling Pies

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has dismissed any prospect off-field manoeuvring that could lead to a board challenge within the next month will distract his team as they fight their way through a horror season that sees them languishing in 16th spot with just two wins in the first nine games.

After a slight reprieve due to a win against North Melbourne last week, the focus is sure to remain on the Magpies ahead of their match against Port Adelaide after The Age reported on Saturday that AFL powerbroker Jeff Browne was certain to stage a board challenge within weeks to take over as president from Mark Korda who was only elected to the role last month after Eddie McGuire stood down in February.

Nathan Buckley.Credit:Getty Images

Asked after the 30-point loss to Sydney at the SCG whether such board discussions would have any impact on him or the playing group, Buckley said he was unaware of the report.

“It’s so much not a distraction I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Buckley told reporters.

The Magpies matched Sydney in the first quarter to take an early lead but were held goalless in the second and third quarters to be overrun by the Swans who have won six of their first nine games this season.

Buckley was once again coaching an inexperienced line up with tall defender Jordan Roughead added to the list of key outs that include last year’s best and fairest winner Taylor Adams, key defender Jeremy Howe and dangerous forward Jamie Elliott.

Their absence forced Brayden Maynard to play on Lance Franklin when the star forward pushed up the ground and ensured their were five players with fewer than 10 games experience in the line up including Tom Wilson who made his debut.

“We showed that we had the right plan and the right attitude and I thought our work rate was consistent throughout the game. We just dropped away with our execution,” Buckley said.

Although the effort was relatively strong the potential board coup will raise further discussion about Buckley’s future with the 48-year-old coach out of contract at the end of the season.

Part of the consideration around the timing of a board challenge relates to the coaching decision as the board in place in 2022 will want to have a coach of their choosing in the job next season.

The discussion around a potential board coup led to former Richmond assistant coach and Brisbane Lions senior coach Justin Leppitsch being asked about whether he would consider a return to the coaches’ box after his name was raised in The Age as a possible addition to Collingwood’s football department in 2022.

Leppistch, a key support to Damien Hardwick at the Tigers as they won three premierships in four seasons, said he would never say never if the right option arose at a club whether that be Collingwood or another club.

“I probably will have conversations over the course of the year as it unfolds. I have no idea what it looks like at the moment,” Leppitsch said.

He has also impressed as a media commentator on SEN during 2021 as he takes a break from the demands that come with being inside an AFL club.

Leppitsch would be most attractive to clubs as a right hand man to the senior coach which could land him a role at the Magpies as a support to Buckley if the club decided to extend his contract or to possible candidates to replace Buckley such as former St Kilda and Fremantle coach Ross Lyon.

“You never say never in these sorts of things,” Leppitsch said.

“The break has been terrific because you get stuck in the weeds … it’s been a fantastic learning experience and what I wanted to do.”

Lyon – who finished with Fremantle late in 2019 – told Triple M two weeks ago he would need to think hard before returning to coaching.

“The only way I would even consider doing it … there’s a few assistants that I really respect their knowledge and what they’re capable of,” Lyon said.

“There’d be an offensive coach that I think ‘yep, he could really complement’. I would need people that aren’t ‘to the line’ guys, that are over the line, are really competent in their areas, so you can get to the playing group, you can work on the dynamic.”

Browne needs signatures from five per cent of members with voting rights – a figure estimated to be about 15,000 members – to force an extraordinary annual general meeting at Collingwood if a handover is not orchestrated and he chooses to challenge. It remains unclear who would be on his ticket if he formed a group to challenge Korda.

Most Viewed in Sport

From our partners

Source: Read Full Article