Melbourne Monday August 28, 2017

"Nervous" Buckley re-appointed as Collingwood coach

Football

A “humbled” Nathan Buckley has been awarded a two-year extension as Collingwood coach after an extensive club review determined he remained the best person for the job.

John Salvado

Monday August 28, 2017

Monday August 28, 2017 Comments

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Buckley has been at the helm since 2012 and has been under immense pressure this season with his team finishing 13th on the AFL ladder, having not made the finals since 2013.

“I’m rapt to be supported into the role,” said Buckley.

“I woke up this morning to the news and I was suitably humbled and a little nervous to be honest.

“I think I’ve always had a really strong understanding of what is going to happen and how it needs to be.

“The facts are that we’ve got a lot of work to do and I’m rapt that the review and the recommendations from the review that was run through the club by (football boss) Geoff Walsh and (businessman and interim CEO) Peter Murphy supported retaining me as senior coach.

“There are risks associated with every decision that you make.

“But I would hope and trust that the information that was gleaned and the thoroughness of the review was such that I’m glad that I’ve been supported to continue my tenure and continue the work we’ve put in place in the last couple of years.”

Nathan Buckley has be re-signed for two more years. Photo: Michael Errey / InDaily

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire said the reappointment of Buckley was the first step in the continued rebuilding of the club.

“We’ve looked deep within ourselves, we’ve acknowledged the mistakes and the shortcomings of our football program and our club as a whole and we believe we’ve identified where we need to take our club to get back to the position where we want it to be – as the pre-eminent football and sporting club in Australia,” said McGuire.

“Part of that decision is to reappoint Nathan.”

-AAP