Buckley wants to stay Pies coach but floats 'step back'
Nathan Buckley says he does not want to step aside as Collingwood coach but is willing to do the best for the club.
The Magpies are processing a review into the club's football department, which was addressed at a board meeting this week.
But while no decision has been made on Buckley's future after six seasons in charge, the man himself is keen to soldier on at the AFL club.
“I love the club and I want to see it succeed,” Buckley said on Thursday.
"Whatever role I’m asked to play in that, I’ll play it, whether that means stepping back and stepping away, or whether it means stepping up.
Nathan Buckley. Pic: Getty
“The club is not about me and it won’t be about any other individual in the club. It’s about what’s going to give it the opportunity for sustained success. I’m totally committed to the footy club and doing what has to be done."
He later clarified his stance when asked directly about the senior coaching role, answering "yes" to the question of whether he was seeking a new contract.
The former club champion said he had been able to put the speculation to one side before this weekend's final clash of the year.
"You probably won't believe me when I say I've spent the majority of the week on Melbourne and trying to set up a plan and a mentality that's going to give us the best chance of performing and winning," he said.
Against Melbourne, Buckley will resist the temptation to throw VFL goalkicking sensation Kayle Kirby into the mix.
There will be changes, both to structure and personnel.
"We've got Brodie (Grundy) and Tyson Goldsack that will be back," he said.
"We'll look at the mix ... we might have a slightly different look to the last four or five."
He said the club wasn't being driven by the chance to knock Melbourne out of the finals.
"It's for us. It's always for us," he said.
"You can look at external motivations. I prefer to look at the positive opportunities and intrinsic motivations - why it's important to you. That's far more sustainable."
with AAP