Buckley energised by Cats move

Geelong’s newest assistant coach, Nathan Buckley, said he is excited to join the Cats for the 2026 season, as the full squad returned for preseason training on Monday.

After the first-to-fourth-year players hit the track last week, the senior Cats were welcomed back at Deakin University Oval for the pre-Christmas training block as they begin building toward another tilt at the premiership following their Grand Final loss to Brisbane.

Fronting the media for one of the first times in blue and white, Buckley said he had already settled in well and was looking forward to contributing to the program.

“It’s obviously a program that I’ve respected from afar for a long time,” he said.

“To be able to get a look under the bonnet and then obviously play a role and contribute where I can, is something that I’ve been energised and excited by.”

The former Collingwood coach and Brownlow Medallist said he had been struck by the level of autonomy and professionalism that defines Geelong’s system.

“This group have been successful for a long time, and I suppose it’s a little bit how much onus is on the players themselves to drive their program into and their own development, which is something that’s been very Geelong,” he said.

“To witness that, and to see to see it in practice, I just think the players have a lot of autonomy and a lot of control on what takes place, which at this early stage is pretty fascinating to be honest.

“My standout takeaway from the first couple of weeks is just how athletic this group is.

“The focus and the investment in that part of the program is significant – very scientific, very organised – and the players take a lot of autonomy and control on that.”

He said the coming weeks would be spent observing before determining where he can add the most value as an assistant coach under Chris Scott.

“I think in the early stages for me, it’s really watching and learning and understanding what this program is about and how they piece it together, and then working out where I can provide value from there,” he said.

The Cats will build back into training up until Christmas, before the preseason ramps up in the New Year.