Nathan Buckley makes a very surprising admission as he's connected to vacant AFL coaching job

Nathan Buckley has revealed he would be open to making a stunning return to footy coaching.

Former Collingwood coach Buckley, 51, has been linked with most top footy coaching jobs since leaving the Pies in 2021, and it came as no surprise when his name was mentioned among the list of contenders to replace Adam Simpson at the West Coast Eagles.

Reports suggest Sydney Swans assistant Dean Cox is the frontrunner to land the job, while Jaymie Graham and Ashley Hansen are also in the mix.

But Buckley - who has emerged as an authoritative pundit on Fox Footy in the past two seasons - has admitted that he is willing to talk about a return to the coaches box. 

'I don't like the fact that coaches that are currently in their places get rained on and that I'm the bloke that always gets the question about that,' he said on Fox Footy.

'I'd take a call from everyone mate. There's no caller IDs I'm not picking up all the time.

'I still don't know if I've got my hand up to coach. But it's something I'm looking at.'

Buckley has also been linked with the new Tasmanian AFL team, and was quizzed on the subject by SEN radio colleague Kane Cornes earlier this year.

'Do you want to be the next coach of Tassie?' Cornes asked Buckley. 

'Tassie is a beautiful state, isn't it?' Buckley answered.

'Beautiful countryside. It's at one with nature. There's a lot that Tassie has going for it.'

A smiling Cornes repeatedly interjected with, 'So, is that a yes?' - but couldn't get a straight answer from a laughing Buckley.

'Still plenty to go under the bridge, I would've thought,' Buckley continued.

'Maybe you need to have more than a CEO to make decisions.'