Nathan Buckley – All I Can Be
Last modified: April 27, 2010The following synopsis is from
www.borders.com.au
All I Can Be
Arguably the greatest player to represent Australia’s most famous football club, Nathan Buckley has had an extraordinary career that boasts a Brownlow Medal, a Norm Smith Medal, six club best and fairest awards and nine seasons as captain of Collingwood. A true professional and an astute self-analyst, he is now one of the most respected authorities on the game. Few players have attracted as much attention as Buckley, but despite the years of intense scrutiny, he remains one of football’s most intruiging and misunderstood figures. All I Can Be reveals the vast gulf between the public perception of Nathan Buckley and the man he really is. Buckley’s brutally honest insights are enhanced by frank commentary of family, friends, teammates, coaches and opponents. This is this higly anticipated story of one of football’s finest, who gave his all but who never experienced the glory of an AFL premiership. It is a privileged, fascinating glimpse into the heart and mind of a truly inspirational sporting legend, and his relentless quest to become the best he could be.
For someone of my generation I knew that Buckley had gone to Brisbane and then deferred to Collingwood a season later but never knew the whole story as to why. I also know that Buckley was seen as an individual player in a team sport at times but when you see behind the scenes that was not the case. His father pushed him to succeed and in year 11 he was the second smallest guy in his year level showing you how much he grew and filled out later.
I admire Buckley’s leadership style and how he sought honest feedback from his teammates so that he could make changes and be a better captain for the club. All AFL supporters, whether you love or love to hate the Magpies would enjoy this read.