Collingwood coach news: Harvey favourite to replace Buckley

The Collingwood Football Club dropped a bombshell on the AFL with the announcement that Nathan Buckley would step down as senior coach after the Magpies’ round 13 Queen’s Birthday clash with Melbourne.

Buckley started his Collingwood coaching career in 2012, replacing Mick Malthouse in a planned transition. He spent 10 years at the helm before deciding to pull the plug midway through the 2021 season.

The Magpies were a competitive team with Buckley as their coach, reaching the 2018 AFL Grand Final during their peak, while his career win-loss record sits at 116-2-99 after 217 matches.

The former Collingwood captain never won a flag for the Pies as a player throughout his 260-game career, with his departure this week confirming he will never win one as a coach either.

Robert Harvey has been installed as the interim coach for the rest of the 2021 season while the club formally begins its search for a long-term replacement.

Sportsbet.com.au has installed Harvey as a $5 favourite to get the gig on a full-time basis. The St Kilda legend has already made solid connections with the players and club, having served as an assistant coach for the Magpies since 2012.

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Alastair Clarkson ($5) is the only current AFL coach at single-figure odds. It was rumoured earlier this year that the Hawthorn boss could be considering a move to Collingwood, but it remains to be seen whether he is eager to embark on another long-term project after 16 trophy-filled years at the Hawks.

Ross Lyon ($5.50) is the best-priced former coach in the market, as the past St Kilda and Fremantle gaffer is still looking for a premiership of his own. Lyon has worked in the AFL media since departing the Dockers in 2019, but his experience as a senior coach could offset concerns about his time away from the day-to-day of top-tier footy.

The untried Sam Mitchell ($7) would offer a fresher, more modern perspective and hails from the Clarkson stable, which has already produced the likes of Damien Hardwick, Luke Beveridge, Adam Simpson and Chris Fagan. The four-time premiership winner currently coaches the Box Hill Hawks in the VFL while also serving as assistant coach and head of development with Hawthorn.

Rounding out the top five options is the former Collingwood champion Scott Burns at $9. Having worked across the entire country for the Eagles, Magpies, Hawks and Crows, Burns has a strong resume backing him up. Could the Pies look to another former player to bring them to the promised land?

There are plenty of interesting picks throughout the market, including Michael Voss ($10), Lenny Hayes ($26), Paul Roos ($26) and Brad Scott ($34).

Our choice for the next Collingwood coach is Burns, as the former Magpies captain has slowly promoted himself across the league to the senior assistant role at the Crows. Burns has been in the coaching system as an assistant for over 13 years, and we think it is time for him to take the next step.

Outright odds for next Collingwood coach

More quoted at Sportsbet