- Nathan Buckley says he’s open to returning to coaching
- The former Pies coach has been linked with a job at the Eagles
- He says he would never turn down a phone call.
Nathan Buckley has revealed he would be open to making a shock return as a football manager.
Former Collingwood coach Buckley, 51, has been linked with most of the top football coaching jobs since leaving the Pies in 2021, and it came as no surprise when his name was mentioned among the list of contenders to replace Adam Simpson at the West Coast Eagles.
Reports suggest Sydney Swans assistant Dean Cox is the favourite to land the job, while Jaymie Graham and Ashley Hansen are also in the mix.
But Buckley, who has become an authoritative pundit on Fox Footy over the past two seasons, has admitted he is willing to talk about a return to the coaching box.
“I don’t like the fact that the managers who are currently in their positions are getting rained on and I’m the guy who always gets asked about it,” he told Fox Footy.
“I’d take calls from everyone, man. There’s no caller ID that I’m not answering all the time.
“I don’t know yet if I have a chance of being a coach, but it’s something I’m considering.”
Buckley has also been linked with Tasmania’s new AFL team and was asked about the issue by SEN radio colleague Kane Cornes earlier this year.
Nathan Buckley says he’s open to returning to AFL coaching
The Collingwood legend said he would pick up the phone if the call came through.
“Do you want to be the next Tasmanian coach?” Cornes asked Buckley.
“Tasmania is a beautiful state, isn’t it?” Buckley replied.
“A beautiful landscape, in harmony with nature. Tasmania has many good things.”
A smiling Cornes repeatedly interjected with “So, is that a yes?” but was unable to get a straight answer from a laughing Buckley.
“I think there’s still a lot of work to be done,” Buckley continued.
‘Maybe it takes more than just a CEO to make decisions.’