North Melbourne wants Nathan Buckley decision in weeks

[compass]

Damian Barrett | July 16, 2009 12:00am

NORTH Melbourne wants to know within three weeks whether Nathan Buckley is prepared to coach the club.

The timeline comes as Collingwood continues to explore ways of luring Buckley to its coaching panel alongside Mick Malthouse, who is yet to be formally offered a deal beyond this season.

Since Dean Laidley left last month, North has made Buckley its target and is not seriously considering other options until he makes a decision.

But with Richmond well advanced in its search for a coach, North believes an early August answer from Buckley is as long as it can wait.

Aware of the Collingwood pull on its former skipper, North has never been confident of signing Buckley, but continues to hold strong hope he will join the club.

Buckley's options include the Tigers, who will happily add him to a long list of candidates.

As the race for Buckley intensifies, it has emerged that Collingwood's ideal outcome is to have Buckley not coach another club and agree to take over at the Pies at the end of 2010 or 2011.

Clauses attached to a Malthouse extension remain a major sticking point, though, with the two-time premiership coach irritated at the Pies' dallying over his future.

Buckley is managed by Craig Kelly, a good mate of Magpies chief executive Gary Pert.

While he captained Collingwood for eight years with Malthouse as coach, many close observers say it would be impossible for Buckley to work beneath Malthouse on a Magpies coaching panel.

The two worked on the coaching panel, with Malthouse in charge, during last year's International Rules Series against Ireland in Australia.

The Magpies' pursuit of Buckley strengthened when the club slumped to 3-5 after the opening eight rounds.

But Malthouse has since guided the team to seven consecutive wins, the most recent being the best of the season, a one-point victory against the Western Bulldogs on Friday.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire told a members' function on Monday night the pending decision on the coaching role would "set the club up for the future".

 

[fairdinkum]

The countdown begins.

 

[budge11]

We don't sound desperate at all

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

We've now never been confident?

 

[Zvim]

It is a good decision. In 3 weeks we will know if he wants the job and if not we will look at the other candidates.

Better than to be dicked around until October.

 

[Zvim]

We've now never been confident?

Well, he probably would have liked to coach Collingwood you would think. The question was weather Collingwood would give Mick the flick or not.

I don't think he ever reasonably expected Mick to get the arse.

Question is now if Bucks wants to do a Longmire and sit in the shadows, and if Malthouse eventually has success with Collingwood, like Paul Roos did then that honeymoon can be a long one for the successful coach.

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

I am glad we are setting a deadline. It does, as you say, stop us getting ducked around.

 

[numchuks]

I can't imagine Buckley joining Collingwood as an assitant coach under Malthouse.

The whole thing resembles the whole lameduck situation that occured when Brendan Nielson was opposition leader, and he had Malcom Turnball waiting in the shadows to takeover. No-one took Nielson seriolsy, and everyone knew that Turnball was the real leader and was waiting for him to step up.

Would be terribly destablising for the club, and wouldn;t be very comfortably for Malthouse having Bucks looking over his shoulder.

I can't envisage a scenario where Buckley sits out for 2 years, and waits to take over from Malthouse either. As if Malthouse would agree in his contract to step down after two years for Bucks. What happens if he wins them a premiership, they couldn't possibly relpace him with Bucks then??

Could end up like Howard and Costello, with Malthouse stringing Buckley along promising him the top job but never actually stepping down to enbale the succesion to happen.

Neither situation is ideal.

 

[Event Horizon]

Malthouse is a proud man. And he is close to the best coach going around IMO. If Eddie continues in this way, I can see Mick being tempted to just walk away from Collingwood if he has a secure offer elsewhere.

The three week deadline is good for every party involved.

 

[NICK_ROOBOY83]

Malthouse is a proud man. And he is close to the best coach going around IMO. If Eddie continues in this way, I can see Mick being tempted to just walk away from Collingwood if he has a secure offer elsewhere.

The three week deadline is good for every party involved.

Yep.

One way or the other we will know soon enough whats going to happen, as it should be.

 

[Manbearpig]

At least we'll find out how passionate Bucks is to coach us.

 

[snapperbowler]

SEN tried to get Eugene on air to discuss this.

We wouldn't come on and according to SEN denied that any deadline has been put in place.

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

There is no source in Barrett's piece. Its Caroesque.

Could be planted to suit an agenda.

Whose agenda?

 

[gokangas]

Barrett usually has the good oil.

 

[Hoser]

At least we'll find out how passionate Bucks is to coach us.

Will be interesting. I'm still not sure I like all of this. As pointed out by Budge "We don't sound desperate at all".

Buckly should only be considered "our only man" if we have reason to think that he is very passionate about joinning us. IMO a very passionate person doesn't take 3 weeks to decide. Reeks of Voss mulling over his options a few years ago, when quite obviously Voss was passionate about wanting to coach Brisbane, NOT any of the others.

All excitement about Bucks aside, the club shouldn't sell itself short. We are offering an excellent opportunity for anyone. I want the person who sees that opportunity straight away and is prepared to go "All in". I do not want the man who is procrastinating over his options. If that's where we are currently at with Bucks, I say move on now, don't even bother with the 3 weeks.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

If there's no deadline of any sort, there should be. Barrett's form, especially on North information, is much better than Caro's, so I'm happy to take it on face value and think the club is getting on with it.

We sound him out abut the opportunity, we need to know if he's keen, and we need to make sure the new coach, if it isn't Buckley, is chosen carefully from the best range of candidates and isn't tagged as our second choice. It's a balancing act and I trust however they choose to play it.

 

[Hoser]

If there's no deadline of any sort, there should be. Barrett's form, especially on North information, is much better than Caro's, so I'm happy to take it on face value and think the club is getting on with it.

We sound him out abut the opportunity, we need to know if he's keen, and we need to make sure the new coach, if it isn't Buckley, is chosen carefully from the best range of candidates and isn't tagged as our second choice. It's a balancing act and I trust however they choose to play it.

Critical point, and almost too late to do much about at this point in time.

 

[The Big H]

Could also be a cunning plan from Eugeine to get Collingwood moving as well. If Eddie wants Bucks as a senior coach, it has to be finalised or he might lose him to North If he wants Mick, he needs to appoint him and thus leaves us clear of the Collingwood stalemate. If Collingwood don't reappoint Mick, perhaps we swoop and take him? Certainly makes it interesting ofr the pies, as if they really wanted to ditch Mick and it happened in the next three weeks, imagine the uproar leading into their finals campain?

 

[Drewfactor]

Critical point, and almost too late to do much about at this point in time.

I think it would be in the best interest of the club to appoint the new coach before the end of the year as they can have a chance to have input into list management and have a clean out and start to implement their vision with a head start towards next year. I agree that whoever the new coach is be one hundred % devoted to the club and not use it as a stepping stone to get to a more powerful club! It is an HONOR to coach this great club not just a JOB.

 

[Barnzy]

North sounds really desperate. I hope for your sake you have been seeking out other applicants instead of focusing all your attention onto Bucks incase he knocks you back. This sounds like the Wallace appointment.

 

[Roosurgence]

Both us and Richmond should be talking to Malthouse. Sounds like Collingwood are digging themselves a hole by trying to have their cake and eat it too.

How can Malthouse seriously coach the side when he know he is going to get turfed at any minute for Buckley?

Reading between the lines Collingwood seem more concerned about Buckley than Malthouse, but because of their results have no grounds to move Mick on. As said earlier can you imagine the fallout if they didn't renew Mick's contract if they maintain their current form.

Seems that Mick has outcoached more than his matchday rivals and has put the Collingwood powerbrokers into a situation they didn't want.

 

[Roosurgence]

North sounds really desperate. I hope for your sake you have been seeking out other applicants instead of focusing all your attention onto Bucks incase he knocks you back. This sounds like the Wallace appointment.

Why don't you go back to shovelling chicken s**t and practicing your spitting technique.

How can you even come and talk about our club, when your own is nothing more than a 3 ring circus.

You seem to have an unhealthy obsession with us lately Barnzy. Even you know deep down that Richmond will make the wrong decision and implode. It's just the natural order of things

 

[Hoser]

North sounds really desperate. I hope for your sake you have been seeking out other applicants instead of focusing all your attention onto Bucks incase he knocks you back. This sounds like the Wallace appointment.

You just love it over here lately don't you?

So that you have a reasonable comparison though, North is probably not quite as desperate as you seem to be for attention.

 

[fairdinkum]

I think TOD has been, especially by his standards, very patient with Barnzy thus far.

I would certainly not blame TOD if his patience were to run out in this thread.

 

[Barnzy]

I think TOD has been, especially by his standards, very patient with Barnzy thus far.

I would certainly not blame TOD if his patience were to run out in this thread.

There was nothing wrong with what I posted, was just giving my thoughts on the matter. Good to see the usual immature responses thrown back at me continue by North posters. I thought the Carlton board was bad, don't agree with everything 100% North related and your out.