Confirmed now. Very sad, but not as much of a shock as Clement.
Feel very lucky to have been able to enjoy Buckley's career. In my opinion, I've not seen a better footballer, apart from maybe Carey, and I'd say that only Hird was his equal. Just an absolute icon, and although I remember him arriving at the club, and remember the 1990 premiership team vividly, no Collingwood team without him is ever going to seem complete again.
I'll always remember his will to get the ball, his run, his - to quote Shane Crawford - superman chest bursting through packs, and most of all his exquisite foot skills. He has been, without a skerrick of a doubt to me, the best kick of a football I've seen - he had so many dimensions to his kicking.
So glad he won a Brownlow, and if winning a Norm Smith in a losing cause is a bitter kind of honour, at least he proved his talent on the biggest stage of all. I think that, probably along with only Bobby Skilton and Gary Ablett, he'll go down as the best player to not win a flag.
Very grateful as well that I went to the Prelim to cheer him, and Clement, one last time. I hope he stays around the club - I can't think of a better person to take over from Malthouse in a couple of years time.
Thanks Nathan - you'll be the yardstick by which I judge a footballer from this day forth, and by that measure I'm going to find almost all of them wanting.
Nathan Buckley #5. Captain of Collingwood Football Club.
280 games. 284 goals.
Brownlow Medal - 2003 (178 career Brownlow votes)
Norm Smith Medal - 2002
6 Time Copeland Trophy Winner - 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003
All-Australian 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 (vice-captain), 2000 (vice-captain), 2001, 2003 (vice-captain)
AFL Rising Star - 1993
Magarey Medal - 1992