Nathan Buckley says he was “disappointed” to miss out on the Tasmanian coaching job and concedes his coaching career is at a bit of a “fork in the road”.
The Devils unveiled Ken Hinkley as their inaugural coach on Monday after the former Port Adelaide coach impressed in his final presentation over the weekend and the 59-year-old convinced the club’s board he could develop a team from scratch.
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Buckley, currently an assistant coach under Chris Scott at Geelong, had expressed keen interest in the Devils job and was disappointed when he learned he had been overlooked.
“I heard from (Devils CEO) Brendon Gale yesterday afternoon with a missed call and then a text because obviously things were moving pretty quickly,” Buckley said on Kayo Sports’ On The Couch.
“So I went home, kicked the dog, threw the toys out of the cot, and then woke up this morning and went to my job at Geelong.
“So, I think it’s taken me a little bit of time to reflect because I was really keen on it, I was in on it.
“The passion that you’ve heard from Kenny that you sort of have to decide if you’re going to go for a job, you’ve got to decide that you’re absolutely all in on it, and I was, and I absolutely respect the process that the Devils have run.”
He added: “I respect their decision with Ken as well.
“It’s about an organisation learning to understand what its needs are through conversations with different people, and I’m glad they found their man.
“They’re really clear on that, Kenny’s the guy for them, and it leaves me in a in a really exciting role at Geelong, which I’ve been at. And the future there for me will inform my next step in footy.
“I probably wouldn’t have come back in (as an AFL head coach) unless I looked at Tassie, so it’s a fork in the road, but I’m I’m really grateful for where I’m at, rather than maybe just being on the couch, five years in media without really knowing what I was doing with footy.
“But now I’m back in a club, and I don’t know what’s next.”
Asked if he had been told why he the Devils went with Hinkley instead of him, Buckley said: “No, not yet. I texted Benny (Gale) back that I was disappointed but thanks for letting me know, and I’ll come back around and touch base in time because obviously busy time for the for the Devils.
“But look, obviously Kenny’s the right fit for Tassie and good luck to them all and I hope that it goes really well. I’m sure it’ll be a great fit.”
Attention now turns to the Essendon and Carlton coaching jobs, where it appears increasingly unlikely both clubs will appoint interim coaches Dean Solomon and Josh Fraser for the long-term.
“Well, it’s a bit early, It’s only 24 hours since discovering (that I missed out),” Buckley said when asked if he was interested in the roles.
“So look, I was really deliberate in getting back into Geelong, and it was as much to give myself the very best chance to be ready to go for the Tasmanian role,
“Now that’s off the table, so I’ll be absolutely committed to what’s going on at Geelong.
“I’ve got an option for an extra year there, and that’s probably the most likely outcome.
“And if that’s if that’s the worst thing that’s come about through this process, well I’m honoured and grateful for that opportunity.
“There’s no guarantees in this.
“You’ve got to put yourself out there and you’ve got to have a crack, so there’s disappointment.
“But at the same time once that once that dissipates, and it’ll dissipate pretty quickly as we’ve got a big game against Melbourne on Friday, and we’ve got a training session tomorrow so I’m looking forward to that.”
“I’m grateful to be at Geelong. I’m looking forward to that role,” he said.
“The events of the last 12 months have led me to where I am, and I’m pretty happy to be at a great club, learning consistently about footy, about people, about coaching, about how you get you know the modern game”
“I mean, this position that I’m in is really interesting, isn’t it?” Buckley said,
“Like, you’re in the media, I’ve given blow by blows and been transparent and that’s been to my detriment in some regards
“But no, I haven’t really reflected on where those roles sit, and I don’t think I would enter those processes.
“I’m absolutely focused on the next six to 10 weeks with Geelong and how that plays out, and I’ll take some time to reassess what’s after that.
“But yeah, I was committed to that, so that ended a day ago, and I’ll take some time to work out what’s next.”
Originally published as ‘Disappointed’ Nathan Buckley reacts to missing out on Devils job, AFL coach vacancies