AFTER much debate and a wide-ranging review, Collingwood has given Nathan Buckley a two-year contract extension.

The club was to announce this at 10.30 on Monday morning in a media conference attended by president Eddie McGuire, Buckley and football head Geoff Walsh.

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The call was effectively decided at a board meeting on Sunday morning.

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In what will be a contentious decision, the Magpies decided to retain Buckley for another two years, in part because of feedback from both staff and players.

The retained senior coach said on Monday he was “humbled’ by the club’s decision, confirming he had been given the news late on Sunday.

“I woke up this morning to the news and was suitably humbled and a little bit nervous, to be honest,” Buckley said.

“The facts are we’ve got a lot of work to do and I’m rapt that the review and the recommendation from the review … supported retaining me as senior coach.

“There are risks associated with every decision that you make but I would hope and trust that … the thoroughness of the report is such that I’ve been supported to continue my tenure and continue the work that’s been put in place.”

Nathan Buckley. (AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy) Source: AAP

In Walsh’s review, there was a sentiment from players and staff that while change was necessary in the football department at the club, Buckley should stay.

The soundings that the club has taken from members found opinion divided about 50-50 between those who wanted Buckley retained and those who wanted him removed.

McGuire told the club’s members on Monday that the club believed Buckley was the man to take Collingwood forward.

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“We have seen the way this list plays for Nathan. He is a man of the highest integrity, he has compassion for his players on and off the field, he is uncompromising in his commitment to the role and we believe he is taking this group in the right direction,” McGuire said.

“As a club we instigated a list rebuild following our 2013 campaign and Nathan has been exemplary in his commitment to developing the young talent brought on to our list and creating a team-first ethos that we believe will take us back to where we want to be as a club.

“The club has taken the One Collingwood blueprint process very seriously and the board took time to consider all the information presented at our meeting on Tuesday night.

“With the benefit of that in-depth report we, as a board, believe Nathan is the right person to lead this club forward.”

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The Buckley re-appointment comes amid significant change in Collingwood’s football department and his support staff.

Most of the assistant coaches are expected to depart, with Scott Burns joining Hawthorn.

The recruiting department is likely to be restructured, though it is unclear whether this means a different role for recruiting boss Derek Hine or his exit.

The Magpies are also looking for a new chief executive following the departure of Gary Pert and the future of the fitness staff is also unclear.

Walsh said while the club had not “gone down the path” of appointing a director of coaching, it would investigate different ideas to ensure “the senior coach won’t operate in a vacuum.”

Overall, the Magpies appear to be following a model similar to Richmond and Damien Hardwick: to make change around the coach while backing him in.

“I know I’m in a better place now to lead this football club and the football team better than I have before and I’m excited for that challenge,” Buckley said.