Career
Buckley played TAC Cup football with the Northern Knights. He was described by Carlton recruiting manager Wayne Hughes as "a quick midfielder with excellent disposal skills". Buckley is the only son of Jim Buckley, who was a midfielder for Carlton in the 1970s and 1980s.
Because of his father"s career, Buckley was eligible to be drafted by Carlton under the Father-Son Rule.
The club had informally committed to recruiting Buckley in early 2010, more than eighteen months before he was eligible to be drafted. Buckley was formally recruited under the Father-Son Rule in October 2011, with Carlton able to use its last selection in the 2011 National Draft (a third round selection, Number 62) to recruit him.
He was given guernsey number 7.
