COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley admits he will not seek an extension on his contract if he does not feel he is the right man to lead the club.
And the Magpies' coach says he is "pretty confident" his players are buying into his message.
Now in his sixth season in charge at Collingwood, the 44-year-old's contract expires at the end of the year.
Buckley said he was still to decide if he was the right man to lead the club.
"I think one thing that people seem to forget is it's a two-way street," Buckley told Channel Nine on Monday night.
"The club has a decision on me to whether they think I'm the man for the job, but I've also got a decision to think whether I'm going to put my hand up (and) whether I actually think that I'm getting the job done that I want to get as well.
"I've got confidence in myself but the fact is, that's a judgement that I have to make as well.
"It's not a fait accompli that we just rollover."
Since their fourth-placed finish in 2012, the Pies have ended each season in a lower spot on the ladder – including consecutive 12th-placed finishes in the past two years – and have not featured in finals since 2013.
When pressed further about his future, Buckley said he felt the club was "heading in the right direction".
"Please don't take it as a sign of doubt in myself, it's only a reality in the caper in the fact that you're dealing with a group of people," he said.
"If I felt at all that I wasn't getting the best out of that group, I'd put my hand up and I'd walk away, but I feel pretty confident now that the players are absolutely invested, the leaders have been first class (as has) our coaching group and footy environment."
Pressure has mounted on Buckley since he declared last August that it was 'finals or bust' for his coaching career.
The Magpies' coach said finals remained firmly on the agenda.
"I think it's over-commentated on, to be honest," Buckley said in reference to last year's radio remarks on SEN.
"I believe that we're capable of making finals and that's where the comment came from and I still think, given an even run, that we'll get there."
