Under pressure: Nathan Buckley and his out-of-form forward Travis Cloke. Credit:Getty Images It wasn't till I looked at this issue more closely, and delved a bit more deeply into it, that I came away with some meaningful answers. Without wanting to kick blokes when they're down, I know Bucks would have expected more this season from Nathan Brown, a former top-10 draft pick, and Travis Cloke, a two-time All-Australian. As senior players they've both underperformed and left big holes in defence and attack. The Magpies' defence has had no continuity at all through the season; because of injury, they've barely been able to field the same back six from one week to another. And that's a recipe for disaster, because that defensive team within a team needs stability. They need to be predictable and reliable to each other and that can only happen when they play games together. Marley Williams, Tom Langdon, Travis Varcoe, Ben Sinclair and Jackson Ramsay are among the group that have missed chunks of the season through injury. Throw in Brown's poor form, and you can see why the Pies are leaking goals.

No excuses: James Aish is among the underperforming Magpies. Credit:Michael Dodge The lack of cohesion and understanding with one another causes the game plan to break down. Players don't make position, they lose the courage to run and that means the guy with the ball, who is looking for options upfield, can find himself under a lot of pressure. That is part of the reason for the poor disposal coming out of the Collingwood backline. Only eight Pies have played every game this year, the lowest figure of any club. It's hard to get a system together when a different squad of 22 takes the field each week; that can take its toll. Up forward, with Cloke out of form, and Jamie Elliott injured, they're relying on young Darcy Moore to be the go-to man and that's a big ask for a second-year player. Having said that, though, he seems to have a bit of strut and confidence about him, and the look of someone who's going to be a star. The absence of Dane Swan has hurt their scoring power, too. So in assessing the forward line and back line, I think there are clear reasons why they've underperformed. But it's the midfield where Buckley has encountered many unexpected problems. And here there is no excuse whatsoever.

It's the midfield where Buckley has encountered many unexpected problems. And here there is no excuse whatsoever. Wayne Carey With the recruitment of Adam Treloar, Levi Greenwood, James Aish and Taylor Adams in the past two years, hopes were high that the Pies had enough midfield talent and depth to play, and win, finals this year. This is an area where they haven't had key injuries, except for Swan's. But this group has lacked the hunger and discipline that's required to win games at this level. Their total clearances is the third worst in the league after seven rounds and their work at stoppages is equally bad, being the second worst behind Gold Coast. This is where Bucks will feel let down; the midfield has been a big disappointment so far. So the question remains: can Nathan Buckley coach? The jury's still out and we'll get a much better idea in the next eight to 10 weeks. Of course, given his status at Collingwood, he's been given longer to prove himself as coach than if he was, say, Snowy off the trams. But I believe he's earned that privilege. He is on the clock, though. He's been doing the job for five years and a lot of people now want to start seeing results. As my old coach Denis Pagan used to say, we're in the results business: all that matters is the number of Ws and Ls beside your name.

I must say what I admire about Bucks is the way he never shies away from his doubters or critics. He's always up for the challenge. So while he'll be making big demands on his team, no one at Collingwood will be working harder than him to try and resurrect this season. Clearly this is the biggest challenge he's faced in his coaching career, maybe his football career full stop. My understanding is that his relationship with his players is still strong, despite the stresses of this season, so that's a positive. But the spotlight, and the pressure, will be on Bucks and his team again on Saturday night in Brisbane, ironically against the club where he started his AFL playing career 23 seasons ago.