Footy great Nathan Buckley takes savage swipe at a North Melbourne player he used to coach

Footy legend Nathan Buckley has taken a surprising swipe at one of his former players during a discussion about North Melbourne’s ongoing struggles this season.

The Kangaroos have had an 0-8 start to the 2024 season – continuing a run of form that has featured just 12 victories from the last 92 games.

Buckley questioned the attitude of some players, before turning his attention towards Jaidyn Stephenson.

Buckley wasn’t happy with the lack of support given to youngster Jackson Archer after he gave away a penalty.

The 21-year-old walked off the pitch shortly afterwards and had no one went over and spoke to him. 

‘Who is responsible in a football club and a team for spirit?’ Buckley said on Fox Footy.

‘I thought he (Jackson Archer) turned himself inside out. He doesn’t have the most talent on the football field, but he has a crack.

‘In this instance, he’s ended up with the ball in his hands and dropped it and he’s given a 50m penalty away. The kid comes to the bench, it’s his turn to rotate.

‘I was watching this from the commentary box and not one person on the bench — not one player, not one staff member, not one coach went anywhere near him.

‘Where was the support? Where was the spirit? ‘Clarko’s up in the box, the senior coach isn’t responsible for all of it.

‘Every single person at a football club can drive a spirit, a connection and a support. That kid (Archer) is beating himself up already, he doesn’t need someone to come and rev him up,’ Buckley said.

‘He needs someone to say: ‘Hey, next time. We back you, we trust you and we’re with you.’

‘For North, they need to back a kid like that who’s going to give competitive efforts over say a Jaidyn Stephenson, who when he gets selected is inconsistent with his effort.

‘I don’t know what standard you’re setting when you pick players like that.’

Buckley and Stephenson haven’t been close since the former Collingwood coach showed Stephenson the door in 2020. 

After the move, Stephenson took a swipe at Buckley and the Collingwood club over the exit.

‘It all happened very quickly at my end,’ Stephenson told Trade Radio.

‘I got a call from my manager about a week before Trade Period started and he said ‘ think they’re putting you up for trade’. I was shocked.

‘I thought I’d get on the front foot and I gave Bucks a call. He said to look for a trade and they’d facilitate it.

‘He just said he doesn’t know if I allowed myself to open up to the group, which I don’t necessarily agree with, but if that’s the way he saw it, he’s the coach.

‘But I’ll definitely be endearing myself to my new teammates and coaches if that’s what he thought my problem was.’