Veteran AFL reporter Caroline Wilson has revealed that she doesn't believe Nathan Buckley will return to coach Collingwood next season after a tumultuous summer.
Buckley's charges got off to a poor start in Round One, convincingly beaten by the Western Bulldogs, and with a premiership appearing out of reach, talk has already turned to the veteran coach's future.
The 48-year-old is in the final year of his contract and is yet to be re-signed, prompting Wilson to believe that he will assume a role in the media in 2022.
"I'm not expecting Nathan to bang the desk and say, 'I'm the best man for the job', but I've just felt that all summer," she told Nine's Footy Classified.
"I feel as though Collingwood as a club is at the crossroads. There are so many changes at so many other levels, that I just feel Nathan will go off and have a really good career in the media.
"I don't think he'll be coaching next year, but I've been wrong before, and I'll be wrong again."
Wilson's call comes after Essendon great Matthew Lloyd also suggested that Buckley's time at Collingwood could come to an end if he fails to deliver a premiership this season.
"I just get the feeling that both Collingwood and Nathan could get to the end of the year and say, 'Look, we've had 10 years at it, unfortunately you weren't able to win us a premiership'," Lloyd told 3AW prior to Collingwood's clash against the Bulldogs.
"It's rare that you get a coach of Nathan's standing that gets out of contract. Normally they sign him up and take all that pressure away, but with them not signing Nathan Buckley up going into his final year, it says to me that pretty much Nathan, you've got to nearly take us to a grand final, or top four, for you to go on and coach again next year."
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