The Collingwood Football Club has today unveiled the Nathan Buckley Magpie Legend exhibition in the Club’s Museum.

The exhibition, which holds an array of Buckley’s personal accolades and items, will be on display for the next year for the Collingwood and AFL community to enjoy.

Buckley has donated many of his most important pieces of memorabilia, including his 2003 Brownlow Medal, back to the Collingwood Football Club.

He also donated his 2002 Norm Smith Medal, all six of his Copeland Trophies, all seven of his All-Australian awards and many other significant pieces of memorabilia, creating one of the largest ever single-player collections exhibited by a football club.

Nathan Buckley is one of the monumental figures in Collingwood’s history. Across 14 seasons and 260 games as a player, he established a benchmark for consistent brilliance few have been able to match.

Following his playing career, he spent two years as an assistant coach before a decade as the Club’s senior coach.

The now 52-year-old, has won almost every individual honour the game can offer, including the Brownlow Medal, Norm Smith Medal, Copeland Trophy (a record six times) and seven all-Australian selections.

At the start of his career, he won the AFL’s Rising Star while at the Brisbane Bears (now Brisbane Lions), and the Magarey Medal, Jack Oatey Medal and Fos Williams Medal while at Port Adelaide.

Buckley is inducted in the Australian Football Hall of Fame and the Collingwood Football Club Hall of Fame, as well as being a Life Member of both bodies. In 1997 he was named in Collingwood’s Team of the Century.

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'This is where it was always going to come back to': Nathan Buckley Exhibition launched

Collingwood President Jeff Browne and Nathan Buckley speak at the launch of the Nathan Buckley Magpie Legend Exhibition at the AIA Vitality Centre.

Collingwood President Jeff Browne officially opened the Nathan Buckley Magpie Legend exhibition tonight.

“We are so pleased to unveil an exhibition of one of our Club greats and we welcome Nathan and his family back to our Club,” Collingwood President Jeff Browne said.

“Nathan has left a historic mark on our Club as both a player and coach, and this exhibition allows us all to reflect and celebrate his contribution, that will be remembered for many lifetimes to follow.

“With over 100 items on display, our Members and supporters and the whole AFL community is able to enjoy one of the largest AFL player collections at our Club’s Museum.

“We sincerely thank Nathan for his generous donation to our Club and look forward to welcoming everyone to the exhibition over the coming year.”

As documented earlier this year, Buckley auctioned off some of his memorabilia due to a personal matter. In addition to the valuable items donated by Buckley, the Club purchased a small selection of items which form part of the Nathan Buckley Magpie Legend exhibition.

Exhibition highlights

  • A portrait done by one of Australia’s leading portrait painters, Robert ‘Alfie’ Hannaford.
  • Buckley’s 2003 Brownlow Medal and the accompanying certificate.
  • Buckley’s 2002 Grand Final guernsey, and the Norm Smith Medal he won while wearing it.
  • A range of other guernseys worn by Buckley, from the 1990s through to the end of his career.
  • Buckley’s Copeland Trophies and All-Australian awards.
  • Buckley’s Collingwood Life Membership and Australian Football Hall of Fame certificates.
  • Match balls from Buckley’s 200th and 250th games.
  • Various other trophies and awards, including his Coach of the Year award from 2018.
  • Five pairs of boots from different years, including one pair with ‘Bucks’ on the tongue that he refused to wear because he didn’t like the personalisation.
  • Variety of other player clothing, including jackets, shorts, socks and training tops.
  • A kitbag from the early 2000s.
  • Items from Buckley’s time with the Australian team for the International Rules series against Ireland, and also his brief stints with Williamstown in the VFL.
  • A range of supporter merchandise and memorabilia, illustrating just how popular he was with Magpie fans.
  • The jumper Buckley wore while playing for the Northern Territory Football League representative team against Geelong in 1992.
  • A superb action painting by Jamie Cooper.
  • Four different video packages, plus photographic slideshows highlighting different aspects of Buckley’s career.

 
Additional note:
Collingwood’s 2023 premiership painting titled ‘Take the Steps’ by AFL artist Jamie Cooper will also be on display in the Club’s Museum. The oil painting has taken over a year to create and depicts the moment of celebration in Collingwood’s locker room following last year’s Grand Final win.

You can view the Nathan Buckley Magpie Legend exhibtion in the Club's Museum at the AIA Vitality Centre, open weekdays from 9am to 5pm.