tragic news for the pies

I think its going to take me a while to get over it :-(



Buckley set to hang up boots
Jake Niall | October 4, 2007

COLLINGWOOD captain Nathan Buckley is expected to announce his retirement by tomorrow night, having tweaked his troublesome hamstring in the preliminary final against Geelong.

Buckley has been away on holidays this week, but is likely to reveal his decision shortly after his return, with the club's best and fairest tomorrow night looming as the right moment to acknowledge one of the game's modern greats, and Collingwood's best player of the past decade or more.

Buckley finished the preliminary final on the bench, which surprised many , given that the game was in the balance, with the Magpies trailing only by five points.

It is understood the sore hamstring was the reason Buckley was not on the field in those frenetic final moments, as Collingwood surged late and was on the verge of pinching an unlikely victory.

The latest hamstring tweak is one of a series Buckley has suffered in the course of a frustrating 2007, but is not thought to be a serious consideration in his anticipated retirement.

The setback would have almost certainly deprived him of a grand final appearance — and perhaps the premiership he has been denied in his extraordinary career — had the Magpies won.

Buckley, 35, has recently said that he has the desire to play, but, tellingly, also suggested that his body might not allow it.

He did not play a game until round 21 this year, but managed to play in the last five games, three of which were finals.

His anticipated retirement means the Magpies will not have either of their 2007 leaders, with vice-captain James Clement retiring immediately after the preliminary final in a move that surprised the club and most observers, given that he appeared to capable of maintaining his high standards of play.

The futures of other veterans Shane Wakelin and Paul Licuria are also still to be confirmed by Collingwood.

Wakelin, 33, had been considered a certain retiree until late in the season, when he performed well at full-back while Simon Prestigiacomo was injured.

But Clement's exit could change the club's thinking on Wakelin, who was kept on primarily as insurance this year.

Scott Burns, the club's other 30-plus veteran, is more likely to play on in 2008, having had perhaps his best season since 2003 this year.

The loss of Buckley, coupled with that of Clement, will create a leadership vacancy and will force Collingwood to think carefully about its next captain.

Anthony Rocca, who is eligible to replace Buckley on the veteran's list, has undergone surgery to repair an ankle problem, while Prestigiacomo also had an operation to fix a foot injury.

Brodie Holland had surgery on his Achilles' heel and played little part in Collingwood's 2007 campaign.