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Sport Nation
"Bulls**t": Buckley's doubts over Jy Simpkin reports
Jaiden Sciberras • September 17th, 2025 1:30 pm
Reports have suggested that North Melbourne captain Jy Simpkin is seeking a move away from the club after losing his place in the midfield, however Nathan Buckley has his doubts.
As initially reported by 7News reporter Mitch Cleary, the management of the 27-year-old Kangaroo begun the process of gauging interest around the AFL for a potential trade away from Arden Street, having harboured frustrations over his midfield time across the 2025 season.
Awarded captain of the club in 2025, the two-time best and fairest still holds four years on his current deal, and despite the ongoing reports, Buckley believes that the information surrounding Simpkin's desired departure is far from the whole truth.
“I call bulls**t on that," Buckley told SEN Whateley.
“I think that generally, we get limited information as we should. We don’t know exactly where Jy’s head’s at, whether the information has come from his manager, or whether it’s come from North.
“Quite often it gets distilled to a singular thing, like ‘I don’t get enough time in the midfield’. That might be part of it, but it won’t be all of it.
“We fall for this all the time, everyone falls for this, ‘how can he want out simply because he doesn’t get midfield minutes?’
“It’s not that cut and dried, but it’s an easier thing to absorb for some reason, even though it might not be the whole truth.”
While also struggling with the basis of the request, Garry Lyon still believes that if midfield minutes is a driving force for a move away, Simkin must dig his heels in and earn his spot back rather than fleeing the club.
“He’s the captain of your footy club, so you’ve entrusted him with leading your football club,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.
“I don’t mind him having want to play more time in the midfield, that’s absolutely fine.
“As the captain, you express that to the coaching team, and if they haven’t put you in there, then you have got the choice to say, ‘right, I will force you to put me in there, by outing Luke Davies-Uniacke, or outing George Wardlaw.
“'By my work through the pre-season, by the biggest pre-season I’ve ever had, you’ll have no choice but to play me through the middle of the ground'.
“What’s wrong with digging your heels in and saying, ‘I’ll spend blood sweat and tears over the summer months and come back and win my way into the midfield and give you no choice’!
“Now it seems to be, ‘you’re not playing me in the midfield, I want out!’
“This is the point about leadership. Leadership should be embracing ‘team’, and the selflessness that is involved.
“Look back at the great leaders – maybe Luke Hodge wanted to play in the midfield his whole career, but guess what? Maybe playing at the half back was better for the footy club.
“Every player at some stage would see themselves in a different role - I’d almost guarantee that.
“Assuming this (report) is right - I am a bit sceptical about all these things - there’s an opportunity to lead this football club here.
“If you’re the captain, dig your heels in and win your way back in.”
