See the sad reason footy great Nathan Buckley has put some of his most prized AFL possessions up for auction

AFL legend Nathan Buckley has been forced to put some of the best mementos from his glittering footy career up for auction due to his 'traumatic divorce'.

Among the 200-plus items on offer is the champion midfielder's grand final jersey from his best-on-ground effort in Collingwood's 2002 defeat against Brisbane.

The father of two saw his marriage to Tania Minnici end in 2020, and it has proven to be a costly exercise.

'It's unlikely the Nathan Buckley Collection would have been offered for public sale had it not been for the divorce of Nathan and his former wife Tania,' auctioneer Charles Leski said.

'This collection, sold under difficult circumstances, gives us a rare glimpse into the life of a sporting hero.'

It comes as the man affectionately known in footy circles as 'Bucks' said splitting from Tania has been arduous.

He has since found love with business manager Brodie Ryan after previously dating cosmetic nurse Alex Pike.

'The most traumatic thing that's happened to me recently was my marriage breaking down,' Buckley said in an interview with News Corp last September.

'The two most important things to me were family and footy. 

'When the family element started breaking down, my immediate family, I lent on football even more.'

Buckley added he was grateful his AFL mates were there for him and said they helped get his life back on track.

He also admitted he is still struggling to let go of the past, as he still battles with 'a lot of emotion', 'a bit of anger' and 'still a bit of mourning.'