Nathan Buckley [merged]

[one-eyed]

Nathan Buckley puts his hand up to coach
Glenn McFarlane | June 28, 2009

NATHAN Buckley had his first audition for the Richmond coaching position yesterday under the watchful eye of Tigers president Gary March.

And if March was interested to find out whether the AFL's hottest coach-in-waiting could handle a young playing group, Buckley got a resounding tick.

As part of a successful Channel Seven community initiative, Buckley coached a team of South Melbourne District Auskick kids against a side tutored by four-time premiership coach Leigh Matthews.

"Buckley's Brigade" started slowly, but stormed home to be in a draw with "Lethal's Lot", which remarkably happens in every Auskick match.

But March was impressed with the way in which the former Collingwood great handled the role, joking that he had a contract ready and waiting in his back pocket.

"It's good to see Bucks in action. He will certainly be in the mix," said March, who coaches a junior team at the club.

Buckley, who last week declared his interest in a coaching role next year, joked that "Gary was in my ear, but all I was trying to focus on was the game and the kids".

He told Channel Seven: "It's fantastic to rub shoulders with the kids and see them run around and have fun.

"We ran over the top of them at the end. It was a draw, but I think they were trying to make the other team feel good."

Channel Seven is looking to make the community day an annual event after its successful debut yesterday.

The network had its entire football commentary team and many of its production staff at Albert Park for the morning.

Bruce McAvaney and Dennis Cometti called the game in typically informative and amusing fashion.

The teams' runners were David Schwarz and Rick Olarenshaw, while Hamish McIntosh umpired.

Six children from Thursday Island also made the trip to be a part of the action yesterday, as part of an exchange program with the club, and impressed with their efforts.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/sport/afl/story/0,27046,25702045-5016169,00.html

[one-eyed]

Nathan Buckley holds all the coaching aces
Damian Barrett | July 07, 2009 11:45pm

NATHAN Buckley made it two from two as a coach yesterday. His Victorian Country under-16 team's stylish win against Western Australia, followed a big victory over Victorian Metro on Saturday.

Buckley and Vic Country could clean-sweep the national titles in Sydney against the also unbeaten South Australia on Friday.

The competition may be small-fry to many in football, but to Buckley, it is a cherished commitment, one that has put the pause button on the movement of senior officials at at least a couple of AFL clubs.

Buckley, via his manager Craig Kelly, made it clear to North Melbourne and Richmond officials that he would not speak to them about their coaching positions until after his under-16 commitments.

Related LinksA lot on line: Limbo coaches face off
When he sits down with Kelly at the weekend or early next week, he will be told he is wanted for those chats as soon as possible.

North is so keen for that talk that will not form a coaching sub-committee until Buckley personally answers its question: "Are you interested in coaching us next year?"

Chief executive Eugene Arocca and football boss Donald McDonald are saying little about the the club's coaching plans post Dean Laidley, but in simple terms it would read: Exhaust all options on Buckley before contemplating anyone else.

Richmond, too, is keen to explore the Buckley option.

But unlike North, the Tigers wants all coaching candidates go through the same process.

As it stands, 15 men, including Kevin Sheedy, will be given the chance to press for the Tigers job.

Led by football department chief Craig Cameron, Richmond will insist all candidate, including Sheedy, to bypass any aspect of recently established exhaustive process.

Despite some outside ridicule at that process, the club is comfortable with how its coach search will play out, that if the workload and requirements attached to the criteria means that North strikes first with Buckley, or someone else, then so be it.

It is a commendable outlook from the Tigers, who decided on the rigorous search after smarting, in hindsight, on the two-man project -- of Clinton Casey and Greg Miller -- that led to Terry Wallace signing for five years without board consultation.

It is still highly possible that there will be a third senior AFL job open to Buckley, with Mark Williams a long way from agreeing to restrictive terms with Port Adelaide.

But, even if the Power position opened up, it would be a poor third option for Buckley.

Those close to him say his family and private life would not be best suited being based in Adelaide.

Buckley has the luxury of controlling what happens with North and Richmond and, to a lesser extent, at Port.

He may choose to bypass all senior offers and work in the AFL system as an assistant coach, maybe at Collingwood under Mick Malthouse, but much juggling on a number of fronts would be required for that to happen.

Things will ramp up with Buckley next week when, free of the under-16 commitments, he will be in the position to book in chats with North and Richmond officials.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25749309-19742,00.html

[mightytiges]

Damian Barrett | July 07, 2009 11:45pm

It is a commendable outlook from the Tigers, who decided on the rigorous search after smarting, in hindsight, on the two-man project -- of Clinton Casey and Greg Miller -- that led to Terry Wallace signing for five years without board consultation.

Nah it can't be. That can't be a compliment towards the RFC from you know who.

Who's kidnapped the real Barrett! 

[tiga]

Nah MT , He's just lulling us into a false sense of stupidity. 

[one-eyed]

3aw today with Cometti, Mike and Shaw were walking about where Bucks should coach (Bucks was in the commentary box as well) and Shaw goes to Bucks "Don't go to either Richmond or North. There's nothing there  . Go to the Gold Coast"

[WA Tiger]

Well IMO after the Collingwood win last night Malthouse will not leave or be pushed from the Pies regardless of the finals outcome. By doing this Eddie everyware will not be able to fullfill his dream (wet) of getting Buckley to coach the Pies.

IMO Buckley will never end up coaching at the club he played for, he will no doubt go to either the Kangaroos or Richmond, there is no way both Buckley and Malthouse can survive at Collingwood together.

Malthouse has at least another 3-5 years there and Buckley won't wait that long, Richmond is too good a carrot for him to pass up should he be offered the job.

Wrong place worng time for the Pies to have their fairytail......... and about time.

[Francois Jackson]

Well IMO after the Collingwood win last night Malthouse will not leave or be pushed from the Pies regardless of the finals outcome. By doing this Eddie everyware will not be able to fullfill his dream (wet) of getting Buckley to coach the Pies.

IMO Buckley will never end up coaching at the club he played for, he will no doubt go to either the Kangaroos or Richmond, there is no way both Buckley and Malthouse can survive at Collingwood together.

Malthouse has at least another 3-5 years there and Buckley won't wait that long, Richmond is too good a carrot for him to pass up should he be offered the job.

Wrong place worng time for the Pies to have their fairytail......... and about time.

and how bitter sweet would it be to have Bux as our man against the pies.

I have a close friend, a pies supporter and he really gets angry at the thought of Bux coming to Punt Road. stuff HIM AND stuff THE PIES.

Bux holding the premiership cup alongside a Tigers captain. PRICELESS!!!!

[WA Tiger]

Well IMO after the Collingwood win last night Malthouse will not leave or be pushed from the Pies regardless of the finals outcome. By doing this Eddie everyware will not be able to fullfill his dream (wet) of getting Buckley to coach the Pies.

IMO Buckley will never end up coaching at the club he played for, he will no doubt go to either the Kangaroos or Richmond, there is no way both Buckley and Malthouse can survive at Collingwood together.

Malthouse has at least another 3-5 years there and Buckley won't wait that long, Richmond is too good a carrot for him to pass up should he be offered the job.

Wrong place worng time for the Pies to have their fairytail......... and about time.

and how bitter sweet would it be to have Bux as our man against the pies.

I have a close friend, a pies supporter and he really gets angry at the thought of Bux coming to Punt Road. eff HIM AND eff THE PIES.

Bux holding the premiership cup alongside a Tigers captain. PRICELESS!!!!

Thats the one Daniel and also, how bad would he wan't to be the Pies every time we played them....

[blaisee]

i was with you till you said that buckley will be at nth or richmond,


the fact is, andI have been saying this for months,


he wont be at either

[Francois Jackson]

i was with you till you said that buckley will be at nth or richmond,


the fact is, andI have been saying this for months,


he wont be at either

Bux = NO GONADS

As much as i would love him because i think the first thing he would do is dump all those pathetic list cloggers we have, i really think he will sit this year out as an assistant coach.

In fact ill just about put my house on it.

[one-eyed]

Bucks this morning on Ch 7 said he expects Malthouse to coach Collingwood next year. When asked if he could be an assistant under Mick, Bucks said "that's one option but I have many options available". Ch 7 news tonight then said Richmond is one of those options.

[tigertough12]

Bucks will be coaching richmond 2010 beyond 

[one-eyed]

Nathan Buckley backs Mick Malthouse as Collingwood coach
Mark Stevens | July 13, 2009

FOOTY'S hottest coaching commodity Nathan Buckley has declared an interest in a supporting role at Collingwood if Mick Malthouse is re-signed.

Asked about the possibility of working under Malthouse next year, Buckley said: "That's a consideration.

"I've got many options available to me and that's what the next part of this season is all about for me."

The six-time Copeland Trophy winner made it clear he thought the reappointment of Malthouse was a done deal.

"I reckon Mick will be reappointed," Buckley said on Channel 7. "They (Collingwood) have won seven games in a row. They're going to finish top four, all things being equal.

"Some of the form that I saw Collingwood display early in the match against the Bulldogs was as good as I've seen them play.

"I think they're in great nick and the coach needs to get some credit and recognition for that."

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, who last week said the club would not be rushed, was unavailable for comment last night.

North Melbourne is going all out to secure Buckley and could speak to the Collingwood champion within days now his under-16 Victoria Country coaching commitments are over.

Buckley also confirmed yesterday he had had initial discussions with Richmond, which has 10-12 names on its coaching hit list.

He said "chats would be ongoing" but kept in private.

"What's happened with Kevin (Sheedy) last week is the reason that I will not be playing it out in the media," Buckley said.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25771437-19742,00.html

[one-eyed]

Buckley being wooed by four
Caroline Wilson | July 14, 2009

ANY DOUBT that the intriguing AFL coaching landscape does not revolve around the pending decision of one man has been removed now that Nathan Buckley has made himself available for job interviews, his junior state coaching commitments complete.

Our understanding is that there are four main suitors for the retired champion. North Melbourne has all but categorically declared him the Kangaroos' most wanted man. Richmond is planning to interview him. And Collingwood seems determined to retain its longest-serving captain.

The smokey has emerged in Hawthorn which appears determined to pursue its democratic coaching path which sees Alastair Clarkson in charge but boasting a number of well-rewarded and highly regarded assistants and football lieutenants.

If the Hawks have not already offered Buckley an assistant's role then they have so unofficially in the belief that Damien Hardwick is almost certain to be lost to them by the start of the 2010 pre-season.

Where Hardwick goes of course largely depends on Buckley. Collingwood might be holding out in achieving a new deal for Mick Malthouse but surely the club knows enough about its long-serving mentor by now to judge whether he is capable of taking the club forward. Perhaps it is congratulating itself upon the waiting game because Malthouse has rarely coached more effectively and that is saying something.

But the cracks are emerging. All year Malthouse has said he is happy to wait until the club comes to him but this is simply not true. AFL coaches are a paranoid lot and Malthouse as much as any. Having been unofficially guaranteed a contract extension early in the year by his president, Malthouse must know that the spectre of Buckley has stalled those negotiations along with a board and administration more determined to oversee checks and balances upon the president than in the past.

Malthouse believes he has the backing of the president but not necessarily the CEO Gary Pert whom Malthouse sees as closely aligned to Craig Kelly, who in turn guides the fortunes of Buckley.

The coach believes he will receive a contract offer in the end but he is angry at the way in which he has been treated and that anger has been revealed in gradual fits and spurts all season — first back in April when he told the ABC he would coach elsewhere next year if not at Collingwood, secondly after an interview granted by Eddie McGuire who cited alternatives such as Mark Williams and again last Friday when he told Triple M his family was not enjoying the delayed proceedings.

So assuming that Collingwood will offer Malthouse a new deal it is difficult to imagine him working in tandem with Buckley as an assistant. Not one Collingwood person contacted by The Age yesterday disagreed. Surely such a combination would be fraught with insecurity and prove both divisive and combustible. Either way an official offer has not come Buckley's way from Collingwood — yet.

So should Collingwood's season continue along its winning way then Buckley must first choose whether to spend a year as an assistant at Hawthorn — in either a full-time or part-time capacity — or take the North Melbourne job which appears to be his.

He may be interviewed by Richmond but he is no certainty to get the job and even less likely to want it. Our understanding is that North for Buckley is a far more attractive proposition.

Tigerland and its dreadful recent history has devoured more experienced campaigners than Buckley over the journey and the message from his camp all season has been that Richmond and all of its cultural problems are not attractive to him.

An assistant coaching position at a successful club such as Hawthorn could appeal more but all the evidence suggests that Buckley is ready to become a senior coach.

Everyone who has watched him work at his various roles this season say he is ready to be made senior coach.

Which leaves North Melbourne.

And what a coup for a club on the brink of relocation less than two years ago that would be.

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/buckley-being-wooed-by-four/2009/07/13/1247337075188.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

[Jackstar is back]

Richmond cultural problems hey