Buckley = Renew or Sack?

[MatthewBoydFanClub]

No knee jerk reaction from me. He's had 10 years at the club. That's enough for me. I don't go as far as others in saying he can't coach. I think he can. It's simply time for someone else to have a go. A few things concern me with Buckley. Firstly his role in list management and the forward line structures he plays. Secondly getting involved in too much of the detail, for instance, his comments on the current board which should have nothing to do with the current coach.

[Swanny2011]

[Presti35]

I just cant believe its all about Carlton in the news today.

Shows what happens after a win.

[Cruisinwithdids]

[Jezza]

Being "knee jerk" is wanting a coach gone halfway through his first contract (e.g. Nathan Buckley in 2013), not 10 seasons into his coaching tenure when we have enough body of work to objectively assess his record.

The mediocrity that permeates this club in order to benefit one individual is baffling, albeit it's not surprising as history shows. Favourite sons have failed as Collingwood senior coaches in the form of Weideman and Shaw. The evidence shows the best Collingwood coaches in the last 50 years have been outsiders with no previous affiliation to the club (i.e. Hafey, Matthews and Malthouse).

For those who want him to stay, how long do you want him to stay for? Another year? 3 years? 5 years? 10 years?

Buckley is currently the longest serving coach in the league without a premiership to his name, with Hinkley and Cameron not too far behind him. When we do we say as a collective that it's time for a fresh voice?

The media is soft on him. Teague is copping it left, right and centre and very little is said about Buckley in comparison. There's only been one or two media pundits who have openly questioned his coaching future.

Whether others like it or not, many supporters and I won't stop advocating for a change until a decision is made. We see this as a window of opportunity to change things up for the better.

[Redlight]

The reaction is knee jerk, even after a decade. No one on this board is in a position to judge Buckley's performance. End of.

Changing coaches is not any kind of guarantee of success. Look at the long, long list of clubs that end up with a revolving door policy on their key coaching post, constantly losing three or four years to the promise of the next 'saviour' who, in turn fails. Let's sign Clarkson! He never had a bad season at the Hawks! Carlton signed 'supercoach' Malthouse, we sacked Matthews, etc, etc, etc.

We should be happy that a Collingwood person with a long history at other, successful, clubs has come back to conduct a review. If Wright decides that Buckley should stay then I'm going to take his view over-and-above anybody on this board.

It's not even close.

[eddiesmith]

Yet sticking with a coach who has 10 years of evidence he isn’t up it is a guarantee of continuing to fail.

It’s a pretty simple choice for most people, take a chance on a new coach who may or may not bring success, or stick with the current coach and be guaranteed failure.

[AnthonyC]

[Jezza]

^ Sorry to break it to you, but coaches without flags that stay beyond 10 years with one club are an aberration.

Most who want him gone are not advocating for anything unusual. I don't know why Nathan Buckley is a special case here.

[AnthonyC]

^I'm sorry are you directing that comment at me?

If so, the point about the longevity of a coaches career isn't at all the point.

I agree that Nathan Buckley should not necessarily be a special case.

BTW, I am on record here stating that Buckley has had his time and we need someone new.

If not, then apologies carry on.

[K]

^ Sounds like his comment is meant for Redlight...

[Jezza]

[Jezza]

[RudeBoy]

[Said by Zed]

Buckley has arguably been more successful than several of his other highly acclaimed contemporaries who have had far more to work with and far less to deal with.

Hinkley has been at Port for 9 years with no GF appearances and middle tier finishes. For some reason he is perceived as a genius coach and idolised in SA. Similarly, Leon Cameron has been at GWS since inception and apart from a single dismal embarrassing absolute failure of a GF with a star studded team has only had very average success, still they’re happy to keep extending his contract. Chris Scott who inherited a dynasty got a premiership in his first year and lost last years GF to a very beatable Tigers outfit and has had the easiest run of all in his 11 years at the Cats and has achieved practically nothing in comparison. All have had more talent and quality players to coach and almost zero off field distractions to derail their seasons. None of these 3 are put through the same scrutiny and degradation as Buckley.

Sometimes desperation and frustration causes usually rational people to ignore the facts and create their own rationalisation hoping that any change will bring them relief, validation, and justification….sound and appropriate business decisions are not founded on emotion or sentiment - that’s why I gave several examples of current ‘industry policy’ and correlated it against the Pies current situation.

As stated, I do not have a preference for Bucks over anyone else, and if there was someone available who could deliver I’d be the first to say ‘pull the trigger’. But reality is, as hard as it is for some to accept, is that the ‘dice were loaded from the start’ against Bucks and continual off field distractions have plagued his tenure which, to his credit, other lesser characters may not have been able to come through with such aplomb.

Which coach from any successful team in the history of the AFL has had to deal with continual destabilising and distracting matters such as player multiple drug related issues, betting scandals, sexual assault dramas, salary and list mismanagement issues, intrinsic racism concerns, unprecedented injury frequency rate, media driven scandals, administrative inadequacy and delinquency etc etc. None! Say what you will but all these things have an effect on team on-field performance - How can the coach possibly be held accountable for everything? Surely some of those listed above were out of his control? Conversely, how could the appointment of a new coach rectify all these matters now and in the future, irrespective of how long the encumbent has been there?

Again, I’m not a Buckley devotee or defender - I just deal in facts and what’s justified - in fact if there’s a better option out there capable of bringing us success I’m all for change and sooner rather than later….but until there is I’ll stick fat with our coach ‘Side by Side’.

I’m sure GW is aware of all this and will hopefully be party to the most appropriate decision for the club whatever that brings….a premiership in the next 5 years would be swell 😉