Nathan Buckley has no intentions of returning to the coaching box despite a brief stint observing the Fremantle setup on Saturday in the Dockers’ win over Melbourne.
Buckley was spotted in the back row of Justin Longmuir’s coaches box prior to the start of Saturday’s game, with Fremantle confirming the former Collingwood coach was there in an observational capacity.
Buckley and Longmuir coached together at the Magpies before the latter won the Fremantle job.
Asked what he learnt from the experience, Buckley focused on the relationship between the coach and his assistants.
“I didn’t learn it, but it was reinforced – we focus on the senior coach… but Mathew Boyd, Joel Corey and Jaymie Graham, who are three understated (assistants)… the communication between those four (including Longmuir) and then there’s a couple of anlyasts and a performance director that sits in there as well, but there wasn’t actually that many in the box,” he told SEN Breakfast.
“The conversations and the decisions that are being made, it’s very collaborative and that’s how great coaching panels work together.
“It was a reinforcement for me that all the pressure and expectation goes on the guy in the big seat, but it’s the panel that get it done.
“Then obviously the connection with the playing group was really strong, but those three, Boyd, Corey and Graham, have as much to say in how things operate and the connection with the playing group as the senior coach does.”
Seeing the celebrations from the Dockers players after winning their fourth game in a row, Buckley admitted he missed the emotion of the moment.
But he ruled out an imminent return to the coaches box. With Damien Hardwick stepping down earlier last week, Buckley’s presence with Fremantle came with interesting timing.
Yet the 50-year-old denied he would take part in Richmond’s process – even if invited – and said that personal growth was one of the driving factors behind the initiative.
“It’s not about Richmond… that’s the thing, it’s not about where teams are at and whether there’s a vacancy, it's where I’m at and it’s not on my radar at all,” he explained.
“I went in there to absorb it and maybe provide a one out one back bit of feedback for J LO and his group, but I also went in there… to be more prepared for this (media) role and to have a greater insight into this role.
“It’s been a long time since I sat in a coaches box and just observed… it’s great to be able to have that access, I feel very grateful and fortunate to be able to and thanks for Freo and Justin for proving that opportunity.”
After a subpar start to the season where Fremantle’s brand was widely questioned, Longmuir has his side riding a high of momentum and only out of the top eight on percentage.