Former Collingwood senior coach Nathan Buckley has stirred rumours about potentially taking the coaching reins of an AFL club again, this time with expansion club Tasmania Devils.
Speaking on Gerard Whateley's SEN show on Monday, Buckley hinted at the possibility of coaching Tasmania when prompted by Whateley.
"There's a chance, yeah. This idea has come around with [CEO Brendon Gale's] comments," Buckley said.
"We met a couple of times last year. The initial meeting was from him, and the second one was [set up] by me to understand the challenge the Devils face and how they were going to build that club. I wanted to put my two cents in, I suppose, and learn as much as I possibly could about it."
Buckley's only senior coaching stint was at the helm of the Magpies between 2012 and 2021, where he led Collingwood to five Finals appearances, a Grand Final in 2018 and an impressive win percentage of 54% across the decade-long tenure. He admits there is a significant challenge involved with joining an expansion club, especially with the desire to capture an elusive premiership that has evaded him throughout his playing and coaching career.
"I'm still asking myself that question [if I'm open to coaching again]," Buckley said.
"I think that coaching bug is still there, but I'm really enjoying what I'm doing at the moment."
"An existing club versus an expansion club like the Devils is two very different propositions. To understand more of the Devils is to understand whether you're energised by it. That challenge is something so different to what I've experienced. It's fundamental, it's what footy is all about. It's about helping young men find their way through the early stages of their career.
"It's a very different challenge and one that I'm still exploring. If you're going back into coaching, you want to win a flag. That may or may not happen with the Devils in their first four or five years. The pragmatic version would be no, that won't happen, you're setting up to leave a legacy for generations down the track or for the next iteration of the coaching group."
LISTEN | Buckley's Chance - Gerard - "Is there a chance that you might coach Tasmania?"
Bucks - "There's a chance..."https://t.co/enARA1Ikxi— Whateley (@WhateleySEN) May 19, 2025
However, Buckley is buoyed by the early stages of the club's build toward entry into the AFL competition in 2028.
"There's a couple of really good football people that I believe would go really well down there. I put their names forward," Buckley said.
"[Tasmania] have been exceptional, the slow build they have done. They've got the order right, getting the list management and recruiting right first... then put a coaching group in place later."
Former Swans coach John Longmire and current Brisbane Lions senior coach Chris Fagan have also been linked to the Tasmania coaching gig, but an official announcement is unlikely to occur soon.
