 Collingwood met reigning premiers the Brisbane Lions in the 2002 Grand Final and were regarded as massive underdogs, eventually falling just 9 points short of an improbable premiership.Buckley, the captain, became just the third player to win the Norm Smith Medal as best afield in the Grand Final despite being a member of the losing side.Despite a very successful home-and-away next season, they were again defeated by the Lions in the 2003 Grand Final, this time in thoroughly convincingly fashion.