Nathan Buckley

Nathan Charles Buckley (born 26 July 1972) is a former professional Australian rules football coach, player and commentator.

He is listed by journalist Mike Sheahan as one of the top 50 players of all time.

Nathan Buckley was born in suburban Adelaide, South Australia, on 26 July 1972.

His family travelled around Australia quite frequently, and by the age of 12, Buckley had been to all major states on the Australian mainland.

He grew up supporting Melbourne Football Club.

Buckley spent the majority of his football-developing years (aged around 10–17) in the Northern Territory, and thus he has occasionally been regarded as a Territorian.

Buckley rebelled at the age of 14, opting to play tennis rather than football, but then his father Ray sent him to boarding school at Victoria's Salesian College to rekindle his enthusiasm in a footy environment.

He played his junior football at the Nightcliff Football Club, representing the Northern Territory at school level in 1983 and 1984, and first played senior football at Southern Districts in Darwin.

He completed his schooling at St John's College, Darwin.

While at St John’s, he played school football alongside a number of other future AFL players including Scott Chisholm, Ronnie Burns, Andrew McLeod and Michael Long.

He also played alongside various members of the famous Rioli family during his time at St John’s.

He also played cricket for the "PINTS" social club, alongside Michael Tunn from Triple J.

He also played at the Ainslie Football Club in the Canberra-based ACTAFL for a season alongside James Hird when he was 13.

During his one year living in Canberra he attended Daramalan College.

In State of Origin he was considered of Northern Territory origin and was selected for a combined Queensland/Northern Territory team and The Allies (a composite team representing several states including the Northern Territory).

Buckley's footballing talents were noticed from an early age.

In the 1991 AFL Draft struggling Australian Football League (AFL) club Brisbane Bears drafted him through its Northern Territory state zone.

Buckley challenged the AFL draft system and sparked controversy by initially resisting a move to Brisbane.

His dreams were to play in Melbourne due to its culture in the sport, therefore felt the Bears were an undesirable career option.

However, AFL draft rules prevented him from playing with another AFL club and so remained in the SANFL.

He joined South Australian National Football League (SANFL) club Port Adelaide where, in 1992, he won his only senior premiership as well as the Magarey Medal (the SANFL's league best and fairest), the Jack Oatey Medal (best on ground in the SANFL Grand Final), and his club best and fairest.

While playing for Port Adelaide he studied Town Planning for two years at the University of South Australia.

Buckley won the inaugural Rising Star Award, in 1993, then went on to become one of the game's elite, captaining Collingwood between 1999 and 2007, winning the Norm Smith Medal for best player afield in the 2002 Grand Final despite playing in the losing team, only the third player in history to do so, the Brownlow Medal in 2003, winning Collingwood's Best and Fairest award, the Copeland Trophy, six times and named in the Collingwood Team of the Century.

Buckley was selected in the All-Australian Team seven times and captained the Australian international rules football team against Ireland.

Buckley signed with the Bears for the 1993 AFL season as part of a deal between Buckley and the Bears that allowed him to go to the club of his choice the following season.

Brisbane hoped his time in Queensland would be long enough to change his mind.

Buckley immediately demonstrated his potential, playing 20 games, kicking 21 goals and impressing with his general play.

He was the inaugural winner of the Norwich Rising Star Award and finished a close second in the Bears' best-and-fairest award.

During his first season, Buckley's arrangement with the Bears became common knowledge.

At the end of the contract he attracted strong interest from all Melbourne-based clubs, chiefly Collingwood, Geelong and North Melbourne.

However, it was Collingwood that successfully arranged a trade deal acceptable to all parties.

Unknown to other AFL clubs and to the AFL itself, Collingwood and Brisbane had already agreed to make the trade happen.

Collingwood selected ten players on its list who were "untouchable", and the Bears could take any two players outside this list, as well as Collingwood's first round draft pick, in exchange for Buckley.

The move saw Buckley move to Collingwood in exchange for Craig Starcevich, Troy Lehmann and the Magpies' first-round draft pick (no. 12, future double-premiership player Chris Scott).

Buckley was adamant that the move was the right career direction, with the belief he had more chance of winning a premiership with Collingwood.

Ironically, Brisbane would go on to win three premierships during Buckley's playing career to Collingwood's none, with Brisbane even beating Collingwood in two consecutive AFL Grand Finals in 2002 and 2003.

In his first season with Collingwood, the Magpies were eliminated by the West Coast Eagles by two points in Perth.

From here, Buckley would be a consistent performer for Collingwood.

In 2004 Buckley became an original inductee into the Collingwood Hall of Fame.

He retired at the conclusion of the 2007 AFL season before serving as Collingwood assistant coach for seasons 2010 (including being assistant coach in the 2010 premiership team) and 2011, and as senior coach in 2012 which he served until stepping down mid-way through the 2021 maintaining an overall positive career coaching record.