Collingwood has welcomed home one of its favourite sons with former captain Scott Burns joining the staff of senior coach Nathan Buckley.

Burns, who has been an assistant coach with West Coast since retiring as a player in 2008, will be back at the Westpac Centre for the opening of pre-season training in November as Buckley’s midfield coach.

Robert Harvey, who has distinguished himself in the mid-field coaching role in his two seasons with Collingwood, will be the senior assistant in 2014. Harvey, forwards coach Matthew Lappin and defensive coach Ben Hart will all be by Buckley’s side for next season.

Burns makes his way home after working with former West Coast coach John Worsfold for five seasons, in which time the Eagles played finals in 2011 and 2012.

“I’m excited to be coming back to Melbourne. It’s been a long time away, five years, and it’s wonderful to get an opportunity at a club like Collingwood,” Burns said.

“There are a lot of new things happening at Collingwood, with Nathan (Buckley) at the helm and the implementation of Leading Teams, which will help in my development, and it’s a particularly exciting period following the premiership with the club undergoing a revamp of its list and integrating exciting young talent. Of course, there is a host of top end talent as well who will be great to work with.

“There’s no doubt the passion for a club you played for is there, but in returning as a coach, I’ll be bringing a lot of intellectual property from West Coast, which went from bottoming out one year to reaching a preliminary final the next. I’ve seen a program which has operated at both ends as it transitioned into a contender and hope to draw from what I have learned in Perth.”

Burns’ return reunites him with Buckley, with whom he shared 14 seasons in black and white. Together, they led the club on-field for a decade, with Burns succeeding Buckley as captain in 2008.

They worked in centre square tandem, along with Paul Licuria, throughout the late nineties and much of the 2000s and were pivotal to the Grand Final campaigns of 2002 and 2003.

Burns completes the assembly of Collingwood’s coaching staff for 2014, with former TAC Cup and Fremantle development coach Steve Grace recently joining the club.

Buckley sought Burns out as soon as the decision was made to promote Harvey.

“‘Burnsy’ is a wonderful football person, an astute football thinker and someone who doesn’t accept second best,” Buckley said.

“He was a respected and influential figure at Collingwood because he was smart, straight down the line, passionate and loyal. He held himself to an extremely high standard that allowed him to forge a great career as a player, something he has brought to his career as a coach.

“He will complement our coaching team brilliantly.”

Burns played 265 games and kicked 149 goals across his 14 seasons with the Magpies, twice won the R.T. Rush Trophy for finishing second in the Copeland Trophy count and placed on several other occasions. He was inducted into the Collingwood Hall of Fame in 2012.

Scott Burns: A Career in Black and White
Played - 1995-2008. 265 games, 149 goals
1996 – R.T. Rush Trophy – 2nd Best and Fairest; Darren Millane Perpetual Trophy
1999 – Appointed Collingwood vice-captain
2002 – R.T. Rush Trophy - 2nd Best and Fairest; Grand Finalist
2003 – J.J. Joyce Trophy – 3rd Best and Fairest; Grand Finalist
2004 – Darren Millane Perpetual Trophy
2008 – Appointed Collingwood captain
2012 – Collingwood Hall of Fame inductee