I may be one of the only people who think that the timing of Nathan Buckley taking over from Mick Malthouse is perfect and is the right thing to do for the Collingwood Football Club.
It’s often said that once a team reaches the ultimate success in the AFL and winning the Grand Final, the hardest thing for that side is to keep motivated to go through the hard yards to reach that day and win again.
Mick would have coached Collingwood for 11 years; won one flag (possibly two) reached reached grand finals (again possibly four) and reached the finals six times since he joined Collingwood.
The football club has a strong culture and football department that when Mick leaves and Bucks steps in, it will breathe a new life into the side. Change is a good thing.
Geelong is a perfect example of what a coaching change can do. Mark Thompson was at Geelong for 10 years and took the club to the last day in September 3 times, winning it twice.
At the end of the 2010 season he had some issues with players, everyone thought the Geelong era had finished. Thompson retired and Geelong then appointed Chris Scott.
Scott had great success as a player, very well respected by all people in the AFL world and learnt his trade for two years at Fremantle. He hasn’t made really much of a change to the list and the team is practically the same as last season except for 3-4 players, along with arguably losing their best player in Ablett.
Scott changed their game plan slightly; I would assume Buckley has his own little changes to the Collingwood game plan.
Scott also brought in a few young players who have ability and had shown they were capable of playing at the highest level; Buckley also has stated one thing he will change is getting the younger blokes rotating through the team more.
I see what has happened at Geelong this season and whether Malthouse stays or goes at season’s end, I believe that the blueprint Geelong has set out, although slightly different to how Collingwood’s has been planned is very much one to work with, in the years to come for other AFL clubs.
I know not everyone is going to agree with me on this and that Malthouse may go on and coach another AFL club to a premiership; however I believe in short and long term, this is going to benefit the Collingwood Football Club, as it has to Geelong.
I will look back on this around this time next season and see whether I have got it all wrong or right.
The lists are already very strong at both clubs and both clubs’ football departments are also well organized and run with good people in key areas.
Having these two things in good order also make the jobs of Chris Scott and Nathan Buckley a lot easier.
Good Luck Mick with whatever you decide to do; you’ve done a great job at Collingwood football club.
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