Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has signed a two year contract extension, which will see him remain at the club until the end of the 2019 season.
The news came at a press conference the club held this morning.
Buckley found his future under scrutiny last week when the club conducted a review of the coaching department during a board meeting.
“I’m rapt to be supported in the role. I woke up this morning to the news and I was suitably humbled and a little bit nervous, to be honest. I’ve always had a really strong understanding of what’s going to happen and how it needs to be,” Buckley told attendees.
“The facts are we’ve got some work to do and I’m rapt at … the recommendations from the review that was run through the club by [head of football] Geoff Walsh and [interim chief executive] Peter Murphy.
“There are risks with any decision you make, but I would hope that the information that was gleaned and the thoroughness of the review was such that I’m glad that I’ve been supported to continue my tenure and continue the work we’ve put in place the last couple of years.”
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has praised how Buckley conducted himself during this season.
“We have seen the way this list plays for Nathan. He is a man of the highest integrity, he has compassion for his players on and off the field, he is uncompromising in his commitment to the role and we believe he is taking this group in the right direction,” McGuire told media.
“As a club we instigated a list rebuild following our 2013 campaign and Nathan has been exemplary in his commitment to developing the young talent brought on to our list and creating a team-first ethos that we believe will take us back to where we want to be as a club.
“The club has taken the One Collingwood blueprint process very seriously and the board took time to consider all the information presented at our meeting on Tuesday night.
“With the benefit of that in-depth report we, as a board, believe Nathan is the right person to lead this club forward.”
Buckley became head coach in 2012 and has lead his team to the finals just once, in the 2013 AFL season.
The Pies have finished 11th, 12th, 12th and 13th in the past four seasons.
Collingwood won nine games this season, missing the finals for the fourth time.
