Nathan Buckley has teased his potential return to the AFL amid speculation around multiple vacant coaching jobs.
Buckley has been linked to coach the AFL‘s 19th side, the Tasmanian Devils, when they join the league in 2028.
He said he has yet to make a decision on whether he wants to a return to the AFL but did not close the door on accepting a call from the West Coast Eagles.
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“I’d take a call from everyone,” Buckley said on Fox Footy.
“There’s ‘no caller IDs’ that I’m 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.”
The 51-year-old faced former Eagles coach Adam Simpson – who parted ways with the club on Tuesday – in the 2018 grand final, when he coached Collingwood. The Pies were edged in a thrilling 79-74 finish.
Buckley is one of four rumoured candidates to take over from Simpson, with Dean Cox, Jaymie Graham and Ash Hansen also in the mix.
With ongoing commitments in television and radio, the question of who his preferred club would be got the star rattled.
”I don’t like the fact that coaches that are currently in their places gain rained on and that I’m the bloke that always gets the question about it,” Buckley said.
Buckley was axed by Collingwood in 2021 after 10 years at the helm.
If he took over at West Coast, he would become the first person this century to coach in a grand final and then go on to join the opponent from the match.