Originally Posted by
Twodogs
Buckley told Brisbane from before they drafted him that he would fulfill his initial contract and then he was moving to Victoria. The Bears backed themselves in to convince him to stay.
Not quite. Brisbane drafted him in 1991 and he outright refused to go. He stayed at Port Adelaide for the 1992 season instead (winning a premiership and the Margarey).
Brisbane made him a deal that if he came and played one season and didn’t like it they would let him go to the club of his choice the next year. They were obviously thinking once they had him up there they might be able to win him over. It didn’t work and he walked after playing almost every game and winning the rising star.
He has been quoted as saying he wanted to go to the “biggest club in the land to win premierships” and there is some delicious irony that Brisbane beat them in two Grand finals. There was also rumours that he had agreed to terms with NM but flipped to Collingwood at the 11th hour and, again, North got a few flags in his playing days.