Brisbane great Jason Akermanis says the Lions “don’t need” Nathan Buckley and has urged the club to appoint Cameron Bruce as the replacement for departed triple-premiership winning coach Chris Fagan.
Former Collingwood coach Buckley – who this year was an assistant at Geelong – is set to formally present to the Lions’ coaching selection panel, who are reportedly willing to wait for him to return from an overseas holiday next month.
The Lions job became vacant after Fagan stood down after 10 years in charge following Brisbane’s third successive grand final win last month.
Lions assistant coach Bruce is considered favourite to replace Fagan, but 54-year-old Buckley – who played for the Brisbane Bears in 1993 before leaving to continue his career with the Magpies – is reportedly “among three or four options”.
However, Akermanis, who was part of Brisbane’s hat-trick of premierships from 2001 to 2003, said the Lions needed to stop “wasting time”.
“Cameron Bruce is the guy (to replace Fagan) – he’s always been the guy,” Akermanis said.
“I don’t know why they’re playing ducks and drakes.
“I’m not saying that ‘Bucks’ wouldn’t suit the Lions, I just don’t think he’s needed.
“They’ve got their coach. He’s been sitting there for years, the players know him, so you safely go to Cameron Bruce.
“I don’t even know why they are wasting their time. You don’t need ‘Bucks’.
“They are not at all going to hire anyone else (apart from Bruce), in my opinion.”
Two of Akermanis’ three grand final wins with Brisbane were over Collingwood teams that included Buckley.
“I like ‘Bucks’ and I get on well with ‘Bucks’, but I wouldn’t be doing anything other than picking Cameron Bruce (as Brisbane’s new coach) and getting on with it.” the 2001 Brownlow medallist said.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and it ain’t broken. They’ve got a wonderful coaching staff there. Just upgrade Dale Morris to senior assistant and appoint Bruce as the coach.”
The Lions’ coaching selection panel consists of club chairman Andrew Wellington, chief executive Sam Graham, general manager of football Danny Daly and club coaching mentor Phil Smyth.
Lions board member Leigh Matthews, who coached Brisbane to its hat-trick of flags in the early 2000s, is serving in an advisory capacity.
The panel will also be supported by Akermanis’ former teammate and fellow Brownlow medallist Simon Black and sports psychologist Matti Clements.