Nathan Buckley, the 52-year-old Collingwood legend, has generated a lot of buzz over a possible comeback to coaching. The controversial ex Magpies coach took the same team to the previous 10 premierships. Now, he is being widely connected with the new head coaching job at the Tasmania Devils, the Australian Football League’s newest franchise. Still, Buckley is somewhat of a risk, as he hasn’t coached since 2021. His newfound willingness to engage in discussions with the Devils’ management indicates he’s at least considering a return to the game.
Buckley’s coaching era at Collingwood was a bizarre paradox of overwhelming success and ghastly almosts. In 2018, he fell just short of getting his hands on that fabled premiership. He couldn’t get it done in a thriller Grand Final loss against West Coast. Following his exit from Collingwood part way through 2021, Buckley launched into a dynamic and successful media career. He has been considering the prospect of making a return to coaching, considering the many challenges inherent in that prospect.
Buckley has gone far beyond this to take an active interest in the distinctive challenges the new club will face. He explored these challenges further with Tasmania Devils’ CEO Brendon Gale. He would later reaffirm that he had been in close meetings with Gale several times throughout the last year. He even asked for a second meeting to discuss the finer points of list management and recruitment, both essential to developing a robust bench.
“They’ve been exceptional with the slow build that they’ve done,” Buckley remarked. I feel like they’ve just got to get the order right with list management and recruiting first. The Academies will be here and then add to that whatever you receive from the drafts and trade milieu. Then schedule your coaching cohort for afterwards.
As he entertains the notion of jumping back into coaching again, Buckley remains very much cognizant of the chessboard. No doubt in his mind, he is going to create a collegiate team from the grassroots. He recognizes that coaching an established club is quite another thing from founding a new team from scratch as the Devils were. As he weighs whether to take on such a challenge, this deep understanding undergirds his approach.
Buckley was very involved in the process to recruit Toder. He found viable candidates for coaching openings and went out of his way to personally take them to meet Gale. He has always been a hands-on participant in these debates. This is a reflection of his commitment to building a successful foundation for the Tasmania Devils, including before making any coaching appointment.
In reflecting on his aspirations, Buckley stated, “If you go back into coaching you want to win a flag.” This sentiment underscores his competitive spirit and desire for success as he contemplates a potential return to the sidelines.
