He was selected by the Greater Western Sydney Football Club as a Category B rookie from the NSW zone in 2017.
[6] In the 8th round of his 2017 season with the Bulldogs, he won the league's rising star nomination after kicking four goals in his team's win.
After a strong 2020 pre-season, in one game kicking 7 goals in a 93-point win over the Canberra Football Club alongside teammate Jake Riccardi,[8] Buckley debuted in Greater Western Sydney's 5-point loss to Melbourne in the 17th round of the 2020 AFL season.
[11] In GWS's 2024 qualifying final against Sydney, Sydney player Isaac Heeney took what many to be considered Mark of the Year with a high-flying specky over Buckley, although Heeney was ineligible for the award due to it being in a finals match, something that attracted criticism in the press.
[12] In any case, Buckley received widespread respect and acclaim for his act of sportsmanship for holding Heeney's hand to ensure his fall was safe, as Heeney was otherwise falling head-first and could have suffered a severe injury had Buckley not intervened.