Reid bullish on Bucks, Pies AFL futures

Collingwood flag-winner Ben Reid has emphatically thrown his weight behind Nathan Buckley’s leadership of the AFL club.

The Magpies earned a morale-boosting comeback victory over West Coast on Sunday at Etihad Stadium.

The eight-point success was Collingwood’s second win in a row since defiant club bosses declared Buckley’s job safe for the rest of the season.

Showing just how fortunes can change in football, Reid was even happy to mention the f-word – finals – should the good vibrations continue.

“This win, this good win, this great win … what it does for the place is it instils a bit of belief that we’re on the right track,” Reid told AAP.

“The way we’ve shown today, the real fire and grit, is the Collingwood way.

“If we can keep doing that until the end of the year you never know what can happen.

“Mathematically we’re not out of the finals by any stretch. If we can get on a roll you never know.”

Collingwood’s seventh win of the season lifted them to 13th on the ladder, two wins and percentage out of the eight.

That record has many declaring time up on Buckley’s six-year tenure but Reid said Buckley was “absolutely” the right man to continue in the job next year.

He said the evidence of Buckley’s coaching know-how came in the fourth quarter.

Buckley moved Jordan De Goey forward in response to Darcy Moore’s injury and saw a terrific return from his third-year midfielder.

De Goey kicked four second-half goals and played a pivotal role in the dying minutes as Collingwood surged.

“It was match-winning,” Reid said.

“It was great playing beside him. It was a special move and it was one Bucks will be happy with I reckon.”

Reid – one of five players left at the club from their 2010 premiership – said he saw improvement in Collingwood’s future.

“You’ve got to look at the young kids in the team,” he said.

“You see Jordy (De Goey) play well. The guys in the middle, Brayden Maynard down back. (Jack) Crispy playing a new role down back. There’s plenty of things to get excited about.”

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