Nathan Buckley has confirmed his priority is leading Tasmania into the AFL, even if it meant giving up the chance to coach Melbourne.
The Collingwood great, who met Devils CEO Brendon Gale on Tuesday, is emerging as the frontrunner to be named the expansion club’s first senior coach.
With the Devils due to join the competition in 2028, Buckley said the chance to build a side from the ground up was too significant to ignore.
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Speaking to Fox Footy, he admitted: “I was more attracted to the Tasmania job than I was the Melbourne job. Ultimately, I had to risk sacrificing an opportunity to coach Melbourne to keep an opportunity to coach Tasmania. Melbourne rightfully made a decision on a coach who was all in and wanted to do the job.”
Stadium report looms large
While Buckley firms as the likely appointment, Tasmania faces a critical week with the release of the state planning commission’s long-awaited report into the $945 million Macquarie Point stadium. The AFL has remained firm on its “no stadium, no team” position, with the findings set to shape a key parliamentary vote later this year.
In the meantime, the Devils continue to build their foundations. They will field teams in the VFL and VFLW from 2026, are developing a high-performance base south of Hobart, and have already unveiled their mascot, Rum’un.
Buckley, though, remains at the heart of the project’s vision. “An opportunity to build something from scratch is an opportunity that doesn’t come around too often,” he said. “I’d love to be involved in the Tasmanian process and that journey.”