Nathan Buckley

Nathan Buckley is one of the AFL’s most celebrated figures, with a distinguished 280-game playing career and a decade as Collingwood’s senior coach. Born in Adelaide, Buckley spent his teenage years across Australia, including time in the Northern Territory, before breaking into senior football with Port Adelaide in the SANFL. His 1992 season culminated in a premiership, a Magarey Medal, a Jack Oatey Medal, and a club best and fairest.

Buckley entered the AFL in 1993 with the Brisbane Bears, winning the inaugural AFL Rising Star Award, before joining Collingwood in 1994. Over his 15-year career at Collingwood, he claimed six Copeland Trophies, seven All-Australian selections, and in 2003, shared the Brownlow Medal while also winning the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year. Appointed captain in 1999, Buckley led Collingwood to consecutive Grand Finals in 2002 and 2003, earning the Norm Smith Medal for best on ground in 2002. He retired in 2007, leaving as one of Collingwood’s most iconic players and a member of both Collingwood’s Team of the Century and the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Following retirement, Buckley spent two years in media with Channel Seven, 3AW, and The Age, before transitioning into coaching. After assisting with the AIS-AFL Academy and coaching Vic Country’s Under 16 side, he returned to Collingwood as Forward Line and Opposition Coach, eventually becoming senior coach from 2012 to 2021. Under his leadership, Collingwood reached the 2018 Grand Final, remembered as one of the most dramatic premiership deciders in AFL history.

Outside football, Buckley is father to two sons, Jett and Ayce, and is a sought-after speaker on leadership and team performance, sharing insights drawn from his unparalleled experience in elite sport.