Thousands flock to tiny Victorian country town to watch AFL legend Nathan Buckley return to the field… but his first match in 17 years does NOT go to plan

Collingwood great Nathan Buckley’s much anticipated return to the footy field at age 50 has been undone by a hamstring injury just nine minutes into the match.

The AFL legend played his first game of footy since retiring in 2007 when he laced up the boots for the Nilma Darnum Bombers against Catani in the Ellinbank and District league on Sunday.

Thousands flocked to the ground – which is surrounded by paddocks and cows – to watch the the 2002 Norm Smith medallist play, but he was sidelined early in the first quarter.

‘Nearly two years now since they won their last game, and so I gave them my best nine minutes and 32 seconds,’ Buckley told Fox Footy after the game.

Describing how he managed to injure himself so quickly, Buckley said: ‘It was almost Eddie Betts-like; front and centre.

Nathan Buckley’s much anticipated return to the footy field lasted just nine minutes

Buckley was sidelined early in the first quarter with a hamstring injury

‘I jagged the groin on Thursday and then again in the warm-up, but then within about five or six minutes (into the game), I thought, ‘That’ll be alright’, I was starting to feel it.

‘But then the way it finished was the way it was always going to finish, I just would have liked (to play) another quarter or two.’

Nilma Darnum had been leading all day until their opponents came back late in the game and pipped them at the post with a two-point win, 14.8 (92) to 13.12 (90).

Despite the injury setback, Buckley stayed involved in the game by helping staff and players from the bench.

‘I just wanted to support him and help him,’ Buckley said.

‘I couldn’t do anything on the field.’

Buckley is the latest former AFL player to feature in the Carlton Draft, a community football program in which former footballers play for a country team in Victoria.

Before the match, Buckley admitted he did not know what to expect from his body.

The AFL Brownlow medallist attracted thousands of fans to the tiny country town

It was Buckley’s first game of footy since retiring in 2007 – and didn’t go according to plan

Despite the injury setback, Buckley stayed involved in the game by helping from the bench

‘Getting hit and hitting as well, in the tackles, it’s something I have no concept of how my body is going to hold up to that,’ he explained.

I’ll try and run out as much of the game as I can and contribute wherever I can, have a few laughs and just enjoy being on the footy ground.’

The Bombers are now on a 35-game winless streak and haven’t tasted victory since beating Poowong at the end of July 2021.

This season they have twice come agonisingly close to breaking their drought, losing to Trafalgar by five points and to the Lang Lang Tigers by eight points.