Is Buckley coaching better than we think...?

[Albert Parker]

^Yes, we all want the team to succeed. But some people had backed themselves so hard into an anti-Bucks corner that it is hard to extricate themselves from it and save face (as opposed to admitting that perhaps he can coach, but it has taken longer than we all would like for him to have succeeded).

Is he the best coach in the AFL? - no, I expect others are better and have the record to prove it.

But the team's performance this year (2nd at a bit after half way and with the longest injury list and to some preferred players) demonstrates that Buckley has the players in his corner (the review overwhelmingly showed that and he retained his job as a result despite others at the outset wanting him gone) and he has learned from some of his mistakes (delegation, shown a bit more give). Tactically he has delivered a team which ranks top 3 for scoring, despite the absence of most of our top goal scorers from last year (Elliott, Fasolo, Moore) which demonstrates success in turning around a team which had major issues moving from the midfield and into the forward 50.

Buckley can coach. It's just that some of his own inadequacies, some inherited problems and an absence of luck with injury has meant that it has taken longer than we'd all have liked to have shown it.

[RudeBoy]

I don't think many people appreciate the negative impact which instability and divisiveness within our football department had on our team's on field performances over the last 3-4 years. Fixing that, at long last, has enabled Bucks the oxygen needed to get the most out of his players. We are now seeing the rewards of that. I'm with Bucks, I'm with Collingwood. Go Pies!

[K]

Does it really need so many years to learn to delegate (as some would have it)?

Or were the support people in the football department so terrible that they could not have anything delegated to them ? (If so, someone is to blame; I mean, someone hired them all. It's a bit strange when apparently lots of terrible mistakes were made, but it is implicitly claimed that no one made them, except perhaps the one high-profile casualty of all this.)

[RudeBoy]

Despite a few years of copping shit from disaffected supporters, as well as being subjected to intense media scrutiny over your position, all the while coaching within a somewhat dysfunctional football department, lacking in stability and unity of purpose, you professionally and calmly held your ground, stood tall and stuck to your guns, knowing that it was only a matter of time before the game-plan gelled with the players and we finally could assemble enough talent to implement it properly. I don't know where we'll finish this year or next for that matter, but as it stands, with us perched 2nd on the ladder after 15 rounds, despite us having the worst injury list of all the top teams, I want to applaud your leadership of our club Nathan. I reckon you're already in line to win coach of the year, but regardless of what happens from here, as a long time supporter, I just want to extend my deepest thanks and acknowledgement to you, for what you have achieved and for the way you have gone about it. Nathan, you are all class. Floreat Pica.

[Damien]

Nice Rude. Bucks has been a giant in the game this year. Yet he Knows the job is far from Done. Love his work.

[thebaldfacts]

At the start of the year I wanted a good run with injuries and 11 wins.

One out of two ain't bad.

Full credit to Bucks that despite the injuries, he has got the team playing committed and disciplined football.

[uncanny]

very good to not hear this year post adelaide game the carping about bucks coaching that has gone on since mm dissed him. so pretty much his whole tenure.. still a chance to hold the cup one day....

[PyreneesPie]

[Haff]

Well said. I’ve been all over the place on Bucks but should have stood firm.

[Mossi]

Top post RudeBoy just reflects what us supporters of Bucks always believed!

[Dave The Man]

Helps when he has Actual Good Assistants and Help around him.

Also Pissing "Leading Teams" Off

[Albert Parker]

Fair post Rudey

[Jezza]

Full credit to him for what he's produced this year. I've been frustrated by Bucks over the years, but to see him finally have some success as coach has been satisfying to watch. After all he's a favourite son and I think every Collingwood supporter (whether you've been staunchly supportive of him all the way or someone who's been critical along the way) is pleased for him.

I think a combination of things have occurred that are leading to the desirable results we're seeing now.

Many of our young players have now reached 50-100 games which means maturity begins to kick in and they're starting to click as a unit irrespective of a mounting injury list.

I think Buckley has benefited from a shakeup in coaching staff at the end of last season and I've heard that he's much more willing to delegate to his assistants rather than take on too much which he admitted he did in his early days as coach. I also think that has he's attained more experience as a senior coach, that his coaching has improved.

It seems to me looking from the outside, we've attempted to emulate Richmond and the way they handled things with Damien Hardwick in 2016 and it seems to be working..

This time last year, we were 5-10 after a deflating loss to Essendon and Buckley seemed to be dead man walking and there was a sense of inevitably that he wouldn't coach beyond 2017. It goes to show that things can turnaround pretty quickly in this sport.

[Pipes1970]

[Pies4shaw]

Is Ratten still available?