There are Collingwood fanatics, and there’s Portarlington’s Jamie Hickey, who named his firstborn son after Nathan Buckley and Eddy McGuire.
“I always thought I’d name him after a Collingwood player,” he said.
“Everyone calls their sons Nathan, so we went the other way and called him Buckley Edward.”
Buckley, 11, is a little young to remember the Magpies’ last premiership in a Grand Final replay after drawing with St Kilda in 2010.
But his father does.
“When Heath Shaw smothered Nick Riewoldt… it was all over after that,” Jamie said.
Jamie was at the MCG for the Pies’ famous 1990 premiership, which broke a 32-year drought for the club.
“To win it was just unbelievable,” he said.
“I still remember Leigh Matthews coming out with his arms up in the air and Darren Millane playing with a broken thumb.”
Originally Jamie had planned to name his son after the tough wingman.
“But Millane’s not really a first name,” he said.
Buckley received a signed jersey from both namesakes a couple months after Jamie’s wife Emily gave birth to him in 2007.
“When I married her she was Carlton,” he said.
“I convinced her to come over to Collingwood but she’s still got a soft spot for Carlton.”
Emily organised the jumper through a mutual friend with the Magpies’ champion and president.
“We’ve got Edward in our second name throughout the family as well,” Jamie said.
“I still remember a couple of people saying, ‘I can’t believe you named your son after a Collingwood player’.
“Everyone’s sort of come around now but you cop it wherever you are anyway being a Collingwood supporter.”
Jamie was thoroughly impressed by the Pies’ win against reigning and minor premiers Richmond last Friday to make the Grand Final.
“It was probably the best half of football they’ve played in ten years – they’d have beaten anybody that night,” he said.
“I hope the big stage doesn’t get to the young blokes but win, lose or draw, it’s still a great effort.”
The family will watch the game at Emily’s mother’s at Indented Head, unless Jamie manages to snare Grand Final tickets.
“Which is unlikely,” he said.
“That’s the consequences of barracking for Collingwood – it has such a big following.”
Buckley will wear his signed jersey as he cheers on favourite players Jayden Stevenson and big American Mason Cox.
“He doesn’t really realise how good Nathan Buckley was,” Jamie said.
“I do hope they win but I’m not too sure (they will) yet,” Buckley said.
“I reckon it would be pretty cool if they won.”
