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"The answer is yes": Nathan Buckley's desire to coach the Tasmania Devils
Jaiden Sciberras • September 17th, 2025 11:37 am
Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley has opened up on his interest to take the role of inaugural head coach of the Tasmania Devils.
Over the past week, Buckley turned down the opportunity to take the role at the Melbourne Demons, withdrawing his candidacy in order to fully explore the opportunity with Brendon Gale and the Devils in the coming months.
And following a meeting with Gale on Monday afternoon, Buckley has admitted that the prospect of leading the club into battle for their inaugural AFL season and beyond is a highly appealing prospect.
“It went well,” Buckley told SEN Whateley.
“Obviously, I’ve tried to be as open and as transparent as I can because it’s not my remit really.
“The Melbourne process was run and done, and I thought that was run pretty well and they came to their conclusion which was excellent.
“Now I’ve lurched in the Tassie process – you don’t want to give blow by blows because you’re respectful of the other side absolutely.
“It was good to have that chat, they’ll continue on their path and what they need to do as an organisation.
“A senior coach is but one role that they’re looking to investigate and fill, and I’m not sure of the timing of that.”
Whateley: “What appeals to you about the inaugural coaching position at the Devils?”
Buckley: “What doesn’t?
“It’s quite a unique challenge. When I look at the way that the Giants came about, and further back Gold Coast – you look that those inception clubs and they’re very different challenges.
“To build something from scratch is attractive to be involved in something like that. I think Tassie is unique.
“When the Crows came up, it’s Adelaide, but it’s not landlocked, and half of Adelaide was Port Adelaide, or Norwood, or Sturt.
“Tassie has its segments, there’s different clans I suppose in Tassie, but it’s landlocked. It is a state, and no matter who represents that state, it will be the state’s team, which is pretty unique.
“I’ve got an affinity with the place – I love it, I love getting down there and escaping. I think the nature of it… I think there’s an edgy part of Tassie’s society that I really appreciate, probably not as conventional and I admire that, and I have admired that for a while.
“I love their messaging at the moment – I think they’re getting everything right. All they need to do is get that stadium over the line.
“The plans are in place and it’s ready to roll out, I think the Devils will be a really strong part of what Tasmania becomes.
“I’d love to be a part of that.”
Bluntly asked, if you were offered the Tassie job tomorrow, would you take it?, Buckley revealed his undeniable desire to take the reins at the club from 2028.
“That’s probably the question that I asked myself before getting to the final position with Melbourne, and that’s why I couldn’t answer definitively with Melbourne,” he admitted.
“Yes. The answer is yes, and I probably wasn’t there until the Melbourne process, ironically.
“I’m not sitting here saying ‘I assume that… I expect that’. This is all open, spit balling, sharing more than a normal candidate would because they don’t have a microphone in front of them every second day and I’m trying to be as respectful to those processes as I possibly can.
“One, I’ve determined that I’d love to coach again. If Tassie feel that I’m a fit, then I’ll be there, but that’s up to them to work out. Beyond that, if that doesn’t work out then I go back to the drawing board.
“I’m enjoying what I’m doing. I love coming in here every Monday and Wednesday morning and talking about footy. I have looked at it in a different lens in the last couple of months in particular. I’ve got plenty more to give… if there’s a fit.”
