2018 preliminary final Mason Cox will forever be the hero, but this was surely Buckley s greatest accomplishment as the Magpies stopped what appeared to be an unstoppable Richmond. The Tigers say they had hit the wall and learnings from 2018 have helped them time their run for the past two premierships, but for Collingwood it was a preliminary final upset for the ages. Buckley had gone from zero to hero, leading Collingwood to a grand final only 12 months after most in the football world suspected his time was up. Â Â
2017 contract extension One finals win from six seasons in charge is hardly cause for celebration, and as the 2017 season slipped away countless media types declared Buckley was gone. Journalist Tony Jones said it was a matter of time and Kane Cornes said they should rip the band-aid off in July. They were far from alone, although a comprehensive full-club review led by Geoff Walsh somehow saved Buckley, who was re-signed for two years after cruelling Mel