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Malthouse sacked, Carlton in disarray

26th May, 2015
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Carlton have sacked coach Mick Malthouse, but he can retire with his head held high. (AAP Image/Joe Castro)
Expert
26th May, 2015
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The axe has finally fallen. The guillotine has cut through. Mick Malthouse has finally felt the cold sharp steel against his neck, and his head is rolling off into the coaching sunset.

It’s impossible to see that he’ll hold a senior position again. The end for a sacked coach is always bitter, but now Malthouse’s last two jobs have finished up in a way more acrimonious than most.

More:
» NEWS: Mick Malthouse sacked by Carlton
» Mick Malthouse sacked – Twitter reacts
» Who should replace Mick Malthouse?

The beauty of football is that there’s always next week. It will be true for the Blues, but not for Mick.

A feistier senior coach there’s never been. It was always Malthouse’s way or the highway. Perhaps that’s how it has to be. He would fight for the players, and fight against everyone else.

If he liked you, he loved you. If he didn’t respect you, or felt you had disrespected him, he would barely disguise his contempt. In the case of someone like sensationalist Channel 7 reporter Mark Stevens, it was plain for all to see.

Carlton were ill-equipped to handle Mick once he went rogue, just as Collingwood had troubles before them. Malthouse feels betrayal like the average Melbournian feels wind, finely attuned to any hint of it in the air.

The difference was that the Pies had strong leadership, a clear direction, and a playing list capable of winning football matches. The Blues are known for warring factions, addle thinking, and one of the poorest lists in the league, also beset by injury.

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Mick has never had a problem making uncomfortable truths public. He’s always been a straight-talker, and there can be no doubt that this aspect of his personality is what endeared so many players to him – he wanted to help them become better men first and better footballers second, firm but fair in his dealings, strong but compassionate.

The emotional lows of a playing group were felt as keenly by Malthouse as any player. He understood. He supported. He helped not just to pick up the pieces, but put them back together again. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men could have learnt something.

Once Carlton had announced there would be no contract extension put before Mick during this season, and that the senior coaching position would be reviewed in full at the end of the year, Malthouse had no issue lobbing not-so-subtle hand grenades into the public arena.

First, it was concern for the future of his assistant coaches, and how they would feel about ongoing speculation about his position. Then, he made it clear the players would be distracted too, and the extra load it would place on the coaches to absorb the pressure they would feel.

In recent times, Malthouse has spoken out about the messaging behind Carlton’s rebuild, and the alienation and disillusionment the players felt at the public announcement of it earlier in the season.

This morning on SEN, he landed some more blows on the administration, speaking on behalf of himself but still trying to protect his players. This was the interview that led to his sacking today.

He all but called the Carlton board out, defying them to get rid of him, and thus cementing their own reputation for incompetence in the process.

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“Good boards stay sound. (Bad) boards crack under pressure, and the first thing that goes is the coach.”

Malthouse’s critics, and there are many, say that all of these public statements were self-serving at best, and driving a wedge between himself and the club at worst.

His supporters, and there are a number, said he was just speaking truth, in his own combative way. His 30 years of experience must count for something. Surely he knows a thing or two about how a good football club should be run?

Malthouse has abhorred using injuries as an excuse in his time, but has frequently referenced them in the last few days. Many will say he is using them as an excuse to deflect attention from himself.

But in his mind, he is protecting his players to the end. The poor performances aren’t the fault of the 22 on the field, but actually due to circumstances off it. This is why they love him.

It often gets said of a situation that it can only end badly, so it’s best to end it quickly. The Carlton board has let this one end protractedly.

It’s been a terrible look for the club, and the AFL competition. Knowing it would conclude only one way, Malthouse has driven the agenda, and the club has been reactive.

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Unlike Malthouse, Carlton will still be around next week, next month, next year.

But they’ve got a series of decisions to make, arguably some of the most important in the history of the club. List management. Recruiting. And oh yes, the senior coach.

They better bloody get it right this time.

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