Ex-coach's denial after surprise image sparks rumours

10 months ago 55

Former Collingwood manager turned commentator Nathan Buckley has denied a imaginable instrumentality to coaching aft helium was spotted wrong the Walyalup (Fremantle) coaches container connected Saturday afternoon.

Buckley, who positioned himself successful the backmost enactment of the box, inconspicuously watched connected arsenic Walyalup defeated Narrm (Melbourne) by 7 points astatine the MCG.

Sporting casual clothes, Buckley was besides seen wrong the Dockers' rooms, triggering a question of speculation.

Asked whose thought it was for Buckley to beryllium with the coaches, helium attributed the program to his erstwhile adjunct manager astatine the Magpies, Justin Longmuir.

Before being appointed Walyalup's caput manager astatine the extremity of 2019, Longmuir served nether Buckley arsenic Collingwood's antiaircraft manager for 2 years.

Nathan Buckley was spotted successful Fremantle's coaches' box. (Fox Footy)

"I spoke to JL (Longmuir) earlier successful the year," Buckley told Fox Footy connected Sunday.

"I was really implicit successful Perth astir 5 weeks agone with the intent of sitting successful the coaches container but the timing wasn't right."

Having joined Fox Footy's commentary squad aft stepping down arsenic the manager of Collingwood midway done 2021, Buckley was supposedly funny successful observing the team's game-day operations.

"It was large to beryllium capable to get successful with the Fremantle coaching group, and successful their pre-match and post-match meetings arsenic well, conscionable to get a consciousness of however they are going astir it," helium said.

"As a media person, to person that penetration is beauteous effective."

Buckley's effect preempted a probe connected whether the acquisition had rekindled a tendency to instrumentality to coaching.

Nathan Buckley during his clip arsenic caput manager of Collingwood. (Getty)

"There is simply a vacancy (with Damien Hardwick departing Richmond earlier this week), timing's everything, and you're successful the coaching container each of a sudden. If (the Tigers) rang, would you instrumentality their call?," Melbourne fable Gary Lyon quizzed.

But Buckley firmly unopen down immoderate conception of a instrumentality to the apical job.

"How galore antithetic ways tin you accidental no?" helium said.

"How galore antithetic times tin you accidental no?

"So, we're putting 2 and 2 unneurotic and getting 101 [per cent], no."

Lyon continued: "Well, you've been successful the media agelong capable present to cognize that seeing you successful the coaches container was ever going to disturbance up immoderate questions".

"100 per cent, I'm a no," Buckley repeated.

"I truly enjoyed it - the transportation betwixt Fremantle's coaches and players is large and they person a spot of momentum astatine the moment.

Justin Longmuir and Nathan Buckley during a Dockers grooming league successful April. (Dylan Burns via Getty Images)

"I was conscionable an perceiver and a listener, and I've got immoderate notes to nonstop backmost to JL and his coaching radical and James Clement who's connected their board.

"They should beryllium good pleased with what they person been capable to bash the past period to enactment themselves backmost into the year."

Buckley coached Collingwood for 10 seasons with a grounds of 117 wins, 99 losses and 2 draws.

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