North Melbourne and Collingwood jostle for coaching prospectDamian Barratt, Jackie Epstein | July 19, 2009
NORTH Melbourne will widen its search for a new coach if its preferred candidate, Nathan Buckley, cannot commit to the job within two weeks.
But the Sunday Herald Sun believes a board meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday at which it is hoped Buckley will have provided an indication of his interest.
North president James Brayshaw met him on Friday morning and indicated the Roos' senior coaching position could be his if he wanted it.
Brayshaw yesterday refused to discuss details of the meeting, but admitted he wanted to know Buckley's intentions for 2010 as soon as possible.
That means Collingwood has a short window to convince Buckley that working as an assistant to Mick Malthouse is a better fit than the head role at North Melbourne.
Should Buckley say he wants more time to consider his options, North would keep him in its potential plans for next year but at the same time embark on a full-scale search process.
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"I have spoken to Nathan very recently," Brayshaw said on Triple M radio yesterday.
"I said, 'Nathan, do you wish to coach senior football next year? Because if you do, we would like to talk to you about that. We think we are a great fit for you.
''If you don't want to coach AFL football next year, please let us know ASAP so we can move on'."
Brayshaw said the conversation went "very well", and he described the former Magpie as "an enormously impressive unit".
He also said Buckley and his management were happy with the tenure and the remuneration that had been discussed.
"Money was not an issue, that was knocked on the head pretty quickly," he said.
"I think he and his management team want a fairly long commitment. They don't want a couple of years. There is no problem with that.
"We have a board meeting at the end of the month and we need to go into that board meeting with a clear direction as to what we are doing, whether we are going in with Nathan's name at the top of the list or whether we are putting a list together and going down a normal path."
Buckley's manager, Craig Kelly, had been previously told by the Roos that consideration would be given to a contract for at least the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons.
In the past month, Collingwood has intensified its bid to have the 2003 Brownlow medallist commit to working under Malthouse for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
It is understood the club is working towards a situation where it would ask Malthouse to relinquish the main post at the end of 2011, regardless of the Magpies' performance.
Buckley would not be drawn on the matter yesterday, except to say he would commit to whichever role "optimises his football knowledge".
"I'm not going to favour one option over another," he told 3AW listeners.
"At the end of the year I'm assuming there would be assistant coaching roles available. The ball's not in my court...clubs will run processes as they see fit.
"I will be looking at what is best for me and a role that I can better the club I go to. If I can pull the trigger on one of those roles I will."
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire declined to comment further yesterday. He said on Friday night the issue regarding Buckley was about timing.
"Would I love Bucks to be at Collingwood?" he said on station SEN.
"Yes, and Bucks said one day he knows I'd love to have Peter Daicos running out the water and Tony Shaw cutting the oranges and being down there and singing the song. Of course you do.
"There's the romance of football and there's the reality, as well, and you just have to make the decisions based on timing and the knowledge that you have."
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