Nathan Buckley has withdrawn from the race to become North Melbourne’s next senior coach, according to The Age’s Sam McClure, in a major twist to the Kangaroos’ search for Alastair Clarkson’s replacement. The report said Buckley informed those involved late last week and will remain a Geelong assistant into 2027.
McClure wrote on Sunday (4 October, about 1:03pm AEDT) that two industry sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed Buckley had ruled himself out of a return to senior coaching at Arden Street. The Age said Buckley had been due to formally present to the coaching panel on Saturday but told the club late last week he was removing himself from the process. North Melbourne and Buckley were contacted for comment, the report noted.
What The Age reported
According to McClure, Buckley’s exit means Clarkson’s successor is set to be a first-time senior coach, with Daniel Giansiracusa, Jaymie Graham, David Hale and North assistant Xavier Clarke all still in the mix.
Buckley, 54, coached Collingwood for almost a decade — including the 2018 grand final — before stepping away in 2021 after 218 games in charge, and rejoined the coaching ranks as a Geelong assistant under Chris Scott in 2026. The Age said he will continue in that Cats role into 2027.
Nine.com.au summarised the same McClure report later on Sunday, noting Buckley had dropped out after initially agreeing to present, and saying the Roos have seemingly overlooked experienced names including John Longmire and Adam Simpson — with Longmire already in a key Essendon role under Mark McVeigh and Simpson set to return to the media in 2027, per Nine. Fremantle assistant Graham and Hawthorn’s Hale were framed as frontrunners in that Nine wrap, with Giansiracusa and Xavier Clarke still mentioned.
Graham front-runner angle
The West Australian (Josh Kempton, 12:05pm AWST Sunday) headlined that Graham shapes as the front-runner after Buckley’s withdrawal. Zero Hanger separately attributed Buckley’s exit to McClure’s Age report and noted Graham was believed to have presented to the Kangaroos this weekend. None of those claims amount to a club appointment.
TSB has previously covered Buckley’s desire to return to senior coaching after he missed out on the Tasmania Devils job, and the broader coaching carousel including Chris Fagan stepping down at Brisbane and Longmire’s move into Essendon’s performance structure.
What we don’t know yet
What we don’t know yet: neither North Melbourne nor Buckley has issued an on-record confirmation of the withdrawal in the reports cited above; whether the club wraps its process with other candidates this week; and who will ultimately be appointed. Trade Week opens Monday 5 October, but the coaching vacancy is separate from free-agency and trade dealings already covered elsewhere on TSB.
AU Google Trends listed “north melbourne football club” at 500+ searches around mid-afternoon Sunday, with McClure’s Age story and Nine among the linked items.
More News
- AFL: Nathan Buckley Opens Up After Missing Out on Tasmania Devils Coaching Job
- AFL: Longmire Leaves Swans for Essendon GM of Performance Role
- AFL: Chris Fagan Steps Down as Lions Coach After Three-Peat
- AFL: Toby Greene Completes Free-Agency Move to Geelong
- AFL: Fagan Reportedly Apologises to Jordan Clark Over All-Australian Dig
