Former Hawthorn star Ben Dixon has named who he believes is the best coach in the AFL. And it's not Alastair Clarkson!
Dixon declared that Collingwood's Nathan Buckley is the game's best coach for how he managed his side throughout the competition shutdown.
The Pies are in good shape coming out of the break, drawing with Richmond before smacking St Kilda by 44 points on the weekend to remain undefeated on the season and second on the ladder.
Speaking on Fox Footy’s The First Crack, Dixon praised Buckley's footy IQ and said he has ascended his coaching game beyond Clarkson's in 2020.
“In a rain delay in tennis and golf, you get a chance to assess your opposition and assess who’s on the leaderboard … So I reckon the isolation has been a rain delay for a lot of teams,” Dixon told The First Crack.
“I think those teams (the Tigers, Eagles and Giants) are struggling and there’s no surprise Collingwood bounced back.
“I rate Nathan Buckley as the best coach in the league. Now ‘Clarko’, I played under him and sat in the coaches’ box beside him and he’s a genius. But Nathan Buckley’s IQ and the way he thinks about the game is only going to go to a new level.”
Having worked at Collingwood as a part-time coach in 2016, Dixon believes Buckley has improved out of sight since.
“When I say ‘above’ him (Clarkson), I’m saying in terms of the game and what he’s done to turn that group around and turn around himself,” he said.
“Clarko was always a good coach, whereas Nathan almost got sacked – and now he’s one of the best coaches in the league. He micromanaged a lot when I was there but he’s obviously taken that (feedback) up.
“The way he sees it, the way he explains it and the way he teaches it now, I’m super impressed with the way he is as a coach and he’s just going to coach for such a long time.”
Collingwood face GWS this Friday night at Giants Stadium.
