COLLINGWOOD

THE BOSS

Nathan Buckley

Buckley could never win that elusive flag as a player, some must be wondering by now whether he’s going to be similarly cursed as a coach. That said, after a long learning process, Buckley these days clearly has found the right formula for man management, and the Pies look a happier bunch for that.

Frustrated is perhaps the best description of where the Magpies find themselves this season after missing out on the premiership by five points and a grand final berth by just four points over the past two years. The considerable consolation is that they are so close and so clearly still in that flag "window of opportunity". The Pies have a wealth of experience and