There’s no doubt that if there is one coach massively under the pump in 2017, it’s Nathan Buckley.
The Collingwood coach has been at the helm for five seasons and in each of those seasons, the Pies have slipped further down the ladder.
The top-eight expectation comes in part because they haven’t made it in a while, in part because they have enormous talent in their list, but mostly because of comments Buckley made in August 2016.
Buckley declared 2017 as “finals or bust” in terms of his coaching position and didn’t expect to continue his role in charge if his side fail to make the finals for a fourth consecutive season.
The Magpies coach revisited those claims on SEN Breakfast this morning, announcing it is his role which should be taken into consideration by the club if they miss the finals.
“We expect to play finals and it’s he coach’s job to mould the program and to provide the environment for the players to be able to go out and do the job,” Buckley said.
“Invariably the senior coach is the guy that has to pull it all together so I absolutely take responsibility for that.”
It is important for the Pies to take it one week at a time and to focus solely on their upcoming opponents throughout the season, making it ver clear that no hypothetical scenarios have been spoken about regarding the end of the season if they don’t meet expectations.
“I can tell you that categorically we haven’t thought about that far down the track or how far down the sixth year of my coaching tenure we’re going to get before you start lifting your eyes and looking beyond,” Buckley said.
“I think any successful organisation focuses on each day as it comes in terms of getting the best out of yourselves.
“Were looking forward to jumping into pre-season, making the most of whatever is in front of us.”
Tim Watson hailed his doubts over the Pies for 2017, claiming that Buckley’s honesty is what will lose him his job.
“I think they’re up against it making the finals this year. I think they can improve from where they were last year and still miss the finals,” he said.
“I think for any coach that has been there six years, it is an accumulation of your results over that period of time.”
Co-host of the Breakfast show Garry Lyon somewhat agreed, suggesting it will be headaches all year round for the Collingwood hierarchy.
“There’s too much focus on the end result when there is 30 weeks in the lead up to that… we judge him by whether they play finals or not,” he said.
“Nathan Buckley may have his best year as an AFL coach this year and still miss the finals and then it would be wrong if Collingwood were to move him on.”
The likes of Chris Mayne (Fremantle), Will Hoskin-Elliot (GWS), Daniel Wells (North Melbourne) and Lynden Dunn (Melbourne) will all be very welcome to what was a youthful Collingwood side in 2016 and will be an integral factor into their success.
Kedwar
Guest
Loved Bucks the player, lament him as as a coach. Move over, move on Nathan....Best Wishes.Pie Lover.
Johnny
Guest
Bucks has been bullish about waht they can do since he started and is yet to produce any sort of goods worth mentioning
Reservoir Animal
Guest
Is Buckley under the pump any more than Hardwick? I think the "which one will get sacked first" question will be the biggest on everyone's lips this year.
Watergate
Guest
My mistake Elliott not Elliot
Watergate
Guest
It is tempting at around this time each year, to believe that Collingwood’s playing list may be capable of greater things, but when the serious stuff begins it just does not happen. Looking at the opposition sides that the Pies will face during 2017, including both proven performers and clubs that are on the rise, it is difficult to see which teams beyond Carlton, Richmond, Gold Coast, Brisbane and possibly North, Collingwood is potentially capable of beating. It seems like a lifetime ago that the likes of Heath Shaw, Harry O, Ben Johnson and Leon Davis slingshot the ball out of the backline, time and again turning defense into highly effective attack. Come 2017 and the club is reliant on plodders, several of whom appear to be Buckley favourites that are just not up to the task, including Sinclair who after flinging himself at the ball is highly likely to kick it anywhere, Ramsey who despite being lauded by Buckley for his ‘tremendous potential’ is in reality a slow, undersized defender with mediocre skills at best and Maynard who repeatedly turns the ball over and is constantly putting his team mates under unnecessary pressure, through his dim-witted decision making. Keeffe re-joining the Pies squad does not really add much to their defensive stocks, as he was never a major contributor prior to his suspension for drug taking, which leaves Ben Reid as the only Pies defensive player, who combines genuine skill with football smarts. Unfortunately for Collingwood however, Reid is really only a week to week proposition, given that he is primarily held together by bandages and sticking plaster. What role the newly recruited 30 year old Demons reject Dunn is capable of playing is unclear to say the least, as his lack of size, strength and pace will see key opposition forwards kick a bag on him week in and week out. Certainly Dunn will not ever be another Alan Toovey, who excelled when matched up against either opposition talls or smaller forwards who were dangerous around the goals. Given that the Pies forwards lack goal scoring potency, with the exception of Moore who frequently puts his body under tremendous pressure, the decision to recruit a hack like Mayne, a so called ‘defensive forward’, who is incapable of kicking goals smacks of absolute desperation. It also remains to be seen, as to whether Elliot can regain the exhilarating form that positioned him as a crucial replacement for Didak’s sadly missed capacity to score 30-40 goals per season; following such a debilitating long term injury. Lack of skills in effectively using the ball is a major deficiency for the Pies with Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Reid, the injury prone Wells and possibly Aish, who began to come into his own late in the 2016 season, amongst a handful of Collingwood players able to meet the quality of disposal that is displayed by the top teams. Scharenberg is also supposed to have skills in this area, but to-date he has been incapable of getting onto the park with any degree of consistency. In overall terms there does not really seem to be enough reasons to suggest that Collingwood will finish anywhere above 12th during 2017, let alone make the finals.
MG
Roar Rookie
Wins: 16; 14; 11; 10; 9 ... The numbers are not good. In 2015 I thought they had a bad year and lost a few close games leading me to expect them back in finals last year especially with the addition of Treloar and Aish. Wrong. I think their backs are not good enough for finals and they don't play as a team. Both of those things have Buckley's influence so I suspect the Pies will not make finals and Buckley will be gone.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
Ha, ha. So true.
Paul D
Roar Guru
I would have thought the lesson of the Lions, when everyone was saying Lions midfield would propel them to the 8 alone was a salutary lesson on that front. I don't give Collingwood a hope in hell of making the 8 this year. More 9-12th irrelevance awaits
Birdman
Guest
no team can play finals with a top drawer midfield and a hollowed out forward and back line - dumb list management
me too
Guest
the law of averages alone suggests he will improve this year. at the end of the day there needs to be a benchmark to work towards. if his benchmark is finals, and he fails, unless some other circumstance stands out in definitive contrast, that should be that. he may well be yet another coach who watches his successor turn his groundwork into something more successful. if so at least he'll have some fans supporting him in hindsight.
Paul W
Guest
Mayne, Dunn and Wells part-time :-)
Birdman
Guest
“We expect to play finals" I see a media career in your near future, Bucks.
Milo
Roar Rookie
Agree with Tim and Garry. Bucks could and IMO will have his best year as coach and yet could still miss the finals. If they do that, they'd be crazy to let him go. But either way if he does go, McGuire should stand down as well. Dim Hardwick is the one that's under the most pressure, and rightly so.