See the sad reason footy great Nathan Buckley has put some of his most prized AFL possessions up for auction
- AFL legend who sells over 200 footy items
- Includes shirt from the 2002 AFL Grand Final
AFL legend Nathan Buckley has been forced to auction off some of the best memories of his glittering football career due to his ‘traumatic divorce’.
Among the more than 200 items on offer is the champion midfielder’s grand final jersey, taken from his best performance on the ground in Collingwood’s 2002 defeat to Brisbane.
The father-of-two saw his marriage to Tania Minnici end in 2020, and it has proven to be a costly exercise.
AFL legend Nathan Buckley has auctioned off some of his most prized possessions following his ‘traumatic divorce’ from ex-wife Tania Minnici (pictured together)
Among the more than 200 items up for grabs is the champion midfielder’s AFL grand final jersey, taken from his best performance on the ground in Collingwood’s 2002 defeat to Brisbane.
“It is unlikely that the Nathan Buckley collection would have been offered for public sale if Nathan and his ex-wife Tania had not divorced,” said auctioneer Charles Leski.
“Sold under difficult circumstances, this collection gives us a rare glimpse into the life of a sports hero.”
It comes as the man affectionately known as ‘Bucks’ in footy circles said separating from Tania was difficult.
He has since found love with business manager Brodie Ryan after previously dating cosmetic nurse Alex Pike.
“The most traumatic thing that’s happened to me lately is my marriage breaking up,” Buckley said in an interview with News Corp last September.
‘The two most important things for me were family and football.
Buckley is a Collingwood legend and played for the Magpies from 1994 to 2007
The former Lions and Pies great has moved on with Brodie Ryan (pictured together)
“When the family element started to crumble, my immediate family, I lent even more to football.”
Buckley added he was grateful his AFL friends were there for him and said they helped get his life back on track.
He also admitted that he still struggles to let go of the past, as he still struggles with “a lot of emotion,” “a little bit of anger,” and “still a little bit of grief.”