Nathan Buckley will not be North Melbourne's next head coach, after withdrawing from the appointment process.
Last week, Buckley announced his intention to reprise his assistant coaching role with the Geelong Cats if he was to be unsuccessful in his pursuit of the top gig at Arden Street - a pursuit he has now called curtains on, per The Age's Sam McClure.
It is another twist in the saga that is the Kangaroos' coaching circus.
Roos' powerbrokers sensationally sacked Alastair Clarkson after their most successful season in years, and behaved in an unbecoming manner at the press conference that followed the announcement, drawing the ire of many in the landscape.
Only Buckley knows whether or not that incident informed his decision to no longer participate in the process.
Following an exemplary playing career, Buckley became the head coach of the Collingwood Football Club in 2012, after an unceremonious succession plan that saw him replace his mentor, Mick Malthouse. Buckley stood aside via mutual consent in 2020 after a tenure that included one grand final loss (2018) and two more preliminary final losses (2012, 2019), and spanned multiple iterations of the Pies' playing list.
He finished with a coaching record of 117-2-99, for a winning percentage of 54 per cent.
He had been the white-hot favourite to land the inaugural head coaching position at expansion club, Tasmania, before Ken Hinkley was ultimately handed the reins.
Fremantle assistant Jaymie Graham is believed to have presented to the Kangaroos this weekend.
