Individually, the bloke's clearly a champion.

The Collingwood coach won six fairest-and-bests at the Pies, a Brownlow Medal, a Norm Smith Medal, seven All-Australian jumpers, a Margarey Medal and the AFL's Rising Star award.

But dig a little bit deeper and I reckon he's also got a fair jinx going on.

His 2002 Norm Smith came in a losing side. He had to share his 2003 Brownlow with Mark Ricciuto and Adam Goodes. He played in a pair of grand finals but the Pies didn't win a flag until after he'd retired.

Whether it's ironic or fitting, it's worth noting Bucks tampered with the draft to ensure he got to a Melbourne club (Collingwood) after playing his first year in the AFL for a club he didn't want to stay with (Brisbane).

We all know what the Lions went on to do... win three consecutive flags from 2001-2003 (ironically beating Collingwood in the last two of them).

Now Bucks finds himself on the brink of AFL oblivion with no silverware to show.

Buckley's winning percentage as coach has dropped each year since 2012.

In charge of Collingwood since 2012 after contriving the exit of Mick Malthouse with president Eddie McGuire, the 44-year-old who only ever wanted team success looks set to leave his involvement at AFL level without a premiership as a player or head coach.

He shot himself in the foot during the off-season when he said Collingwood needed to make the finals if 2017 was to be a success and must be regretting that statement now.

We're all supremely optimistic in December and January when a ball hasn't been kicked. The hard facts are, despite a 61-53 win-loss record since becoming coach in 2012, Buckley's winning percentage has dropped each season since (68, 61, 50, 45, 40) and his contract ends this year.

While Eddie and the board will stick thick and give him every opportunity to succeed, Bucks would want to win at least two of the next four games (starting with the Anzac Day blockbuster against Essendon, then Geelong, Carlton and GWS) or the army will start baying for blood.

And while we're on the Pies, with Darcy Moore on the outer, don't be surprised if they make a beeline for ex-Victorian Jonathon Patton, who kicked six on the weekend, given the universal belief their forward line is dysfunctional.

The Bulldogs tried to get him a couple of years ago but baulked because of his dicky knee (Patton did another knee 10 days later). GWS are going to be up against it trying to keep all their stars, even the contracted ones - just look at the recent fuss around Josh Kelly's signature.

Victorian clubs will line up to get Jonathon Patton home.

But individual champions don't generate premierships, something Nathan Buckley is acutely aware of.

Goat of the week: Harley Bennell / Fremantle
As good as they've gone the past couple of weeks, what were Fremantle thinking letting Harley Bennell go on holidays when he hasn't played a game and should be re-habbing. I'm all for blokes letting their hair down, but everyone in this caper knows you don't drink when trying to rehabilitate soft tissue injuries. Enough's enough.

Hero of the week: Freddie Goldsmith
Vale the great Freddie Goldsmith, who won the1955 Brownlow... playing at full back! Can you imagine Alex Rance winning it? Dapper Dan absolutely loved the Brownlow ceremonies. Every year he would book a room at the Crown and the be the first to arrive at midday, the first to arrive in the past winners bar, and the last to leave the auditorium.

It would be remiss to not quickly mention universally-loved Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy, who plays his 300th game this Saturday against the Lions.

Things that make you go hmmm:
Hawks recruits Jaegar O'Meara and Tom Mitchell must be scratching their heads wondering if they made the right decision. While Mitchell was squeezed out of Sydney and O'Meara suffered serious injuries in successive seasons at the Suns, both left their clubs to chase a premiership with Hawthorn.