Brisbane is considering approaching Nathan Buckley as part of its search for Chris Fagan’s replacement, AFL.com.au has reported, less than a week after the three-time premiership coach retired. The former Collingwood coach pulled out of North Melbourne’s coaching race on the weekend, and the Lions are yet to announce how they will fill the job.
AFL Media’s Damian Barrett reported on Monday night (5 October) that Brisbane is “considering approaching Nathan Buckley to be part of its process to find the club’s next head coach”, and that the Lions “are contemplating an approach about him returning to Queensland”.
It would be a return to where his career began. Buckley won the Rising Star Award in his only season with the Brisbane Bears in 1993.
Who else is in the frame?
Barrett reported that Lions head of football Danny Daly and assistant coach Cam Bruce are also expected to be considered. Leigh Matthews, who coached Buckley at Collingwood and won three premierships as Brisbane coach, now sits on the Lions board and will be part of the process to find the next coach, according to AFL.com.au.
The Age reported on Sunday that the Lions board would meet this week to decide whether to run a targeted process or throw the vacancy open to all candidates, and that Daly was “at the front of the queue”, according to a competition source.
Neither the Lions nor Buckley had commented publicly on the report at the time of writing. The club’s only public line so far came from chief executive Sam Graham on Thursday, who said Brisbane would “announce the next steps to appoint our next senior coach in due course”, according to the Lions’ official announcement.
Buckley’s hunt for a senior job
Buckley withdrew from the race to coach North Melbourne before he was due to present to the Kangaroos’ panel, The Age reported on Sunday 4 October. North named Fremantle assistant Jaymie Graham as its new senior coach on Tuesday. Buckley also missed out on the Tasmania job earlier this year, with the Devils appointing Ken Hinkley.
The 54-year-old coached Collingwood for 218 games from 2012 to 2021, taking the Magpies to the 2018 grand final, and joined Geelong as an assistant coach this season. Speaking on Fox Footy’s On The Couch about the North job, Buckley said: “I’ve determined 12 months ago that I’d love to senior coach again, and I love the role at Geelong,” Fox Sports reported.
Fagan goes out on top
Fagan announced his retirement on Thursday 1 October with a year left on his contract, days after the Lions beat Fremantle to win a third straight premiership. He coached Brisbane for 243 games over 10 seasons for 148 wins, 93 losses and two draws, the club said. TSB looked at why Fagan is going out on top.
“I’m comfortable that now is the right time for Ursula and I to return to Melbourne to be closer to our family,” Fagan said in the club statement.
More News
- AFL: Jaymie Graham Named North Melbourne Senior Coach
- AFL: Nathan Buckley Withdraws from North Melbourne Coaching Race
- ‘Hardest things’: Fagan is going out on top after third straight Lions premiership
- AFL: Sam Marshall Requests Trade to St Kilda as Lions Confirm Move
- AFL: Jesse Hogan Traded to Collingwood as Trade Period Opens
