Disgruntled Pies players reportedly asked Collingwood executives to abort the Malthouse-Buckley succession plan in 2012.
AFL journalist Damian Barrett made the stunning claim on The Footy Show on Thursday night.
Several players were reportedly dissatisfied with the direction the club was about to take after Mick Malthouse had just delivered the club its first premiership in 20 years.
.@BarrettDamian has revealed Pies players asked club execs to 'kill off' the Malthouse-Buckley succession in 2012 pic.twitter.com/q2ncl2X6bx
— The AFL Footy Show (@AFLFootyShow) May 12, 2016
The disgruntled players reportedly included Dale Thomas, Ben Johnson, Darren Jolly, Alan Didak, Dane Swan, Nick Maxwell, Heath Shaw and Heritier Lumumba.
Collingwood won the premiership in 2010, reached the grand final in 2011 and has steadily dropped down the ladder since Nathan Buckley took the reins in 2012.
The Magpies have finished fourth, sixth, 11th and 12th over the past four seasons under Buckley.
Who cares it only Collingwood
History repeats itself. Another favorite son lets us down, Murray Weideman 1976 wooden spoon, Tony Shaw 1999 wooden spoon, and now Nathan Buckley headed for the spoon…