Mick Malthouse, as usual, has been true to his word in this entire Carlton fiasco.
He kept saying it was not in his DNA to quit, despite the Blues’ horrendous start.
They have the worst playing list in the competition. If you don’t have the talent to compete or win, that can be accepted, but what won’t be is lack of effort.
In their heavy defeats throughout most of this season so far, Carlton players have looked uninterested and at times have put limited pressure on their opponents.
It has been said the list has to be stripped back, and president Mark LoGiudice said that last month that the club had finally admitted they would use the dirty r word.
Rebuild.
However, as has been his case since taking over from Stephen Kernahan, LoGiudice has been full of mixed messages.
He said at yesterday’s press conference that this season isn’t a write off. What does he mean by that? They can avoid the wooden spoon, but they can’t afford to, as they need the best young player in the country – provided they pick the right one, which hasn’t been a strong suit.
Incredibly this list has 11 first-round draft picks, but Malthouse has done far worse than the man he replaced, Brett Ratten. In fact, compared to Denis Pagan before him and Mick after him, Ratten now has a reasonable record.
The Blues had a bad spate of injuries in 2012 and then a shocking game against the Gold Coast, which cost Ratten. Carlton had Mick waiting in the wings, having had a year off, and like when they replaced Wayne Brittain at the end of 2002 with Pagan, they were inpatient for the sustained success they believe is rightly theirs after their run between 1968 and 1995.
However, looking from the outside, Malthouse and the board didn’t seem to be on the same wavelength throughout his tenure.
It didn’t help that LoGiudice said on Monday the club would make a decision about the coaching position during the bye in two weeks, but Mick being Mick got on the front foot.
His radio interview on SEN would have had co-hosts Andrew Maher, Tim Watson and Andrew Gaze rubbing their hands with glee.
Some of his comments were mind blowing, especially the accusation that current Carlton CEO Stephen Trigg told him when the Blues were trying to hang onto Eddie Betts that he shouldn’t worry, he had agreed to go to Adelaide 18 months ago when Trigg was in charge there.
Now, that’s another issue, but Trigg should get a ‘please explain’ from the AFL even though he and Betts’ management denied it. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back, so the 718-game coaching career comes to an end.
Assistant coach, former Hawthorn, Fitzroy and Brisbane player, John Barker gets his chance for the rest of the season. If they win a couple of games early, it will be interesting what the mindset and attitude at the club becomes.
For Malthouse it’s over. He would obviously be shattered to go that way, being the game’s coaching record holder, but what a career.
He took over Footscray in January 1984 having just retired as a player, and despite the lack of finances turned that team into a very competitive unit.
He then got the prized job at West Coast. They had wonderful talent, he had a method, and the team won the Holy Grail twice – and played in the finals in all of his 10 seasons.
His next challenge was Collingwood, where he refuted claims that he couldn’t rebuild a team.
After winning the flag in 1990 and making the finals in 1999, the Pies were otherwise probably the worst-performed team of that decade. Yet within three years Mick had them in the grand final, but they had nowhere near the talent of those powerful Brisbane teams in 2002 and 2003 and fell short.
He then rebuilt that list and reinvented the game plan to keep up with the constant changes, most notably introducing his manic forward press, which got them that elusive flag in 2010 after drawing the first one.
However he also fell out with Pies president Eddie McGuire and Nathan Buckley.
Mick was furious about the agreement – that he believed McGuire forced him into in 2009 – that he would stand down in 2011 to allow Buckley to become senior coach after two years as his assistant. Mind you, Collingwood’s best years under Mick were the two after this deal was put in place.
It just smelt of the typical Malthouse attitude, me against them and I’ll show them I am still a good coach.
He went on an unscheduled media interview circuit in 2011 to basically try and save his job, as the Magpies were heading towards back-to-back flags, but the Cats peaked at the right time and he ended his 12-year tenure on a sour note.
After the Blues just missed out on snatching a preliminary final spot in 2011, Ratten unfairly was under pressure, despite getting a new contract. History tells us the Blues again thought they were closer than they were for ultimate glory, that 2012 was a bad year, and that Ratten had to be the fall guy.
Mick got Carlton into the finals by default in 2013 and won a game, but right throughout his time there they played in fits and starts at best, and it seemed Carlton struggled to embrace his style.
He lost them this year. It was easy to see, just by looking at the listless and limp efforts in the first eight rounds. His sacking was inevitable, but as usual he wasn’t going out without a fight, so he approached the media again to vent his spleen.
He was explosive and so were his comments. Carlton had had enough, but so had Mick.
He deserves a rest now. He liked to be disliked, especially by the media, but he could be engaging and charming as well. However he loved his players and got on with most of them (the number one exception being Brad Hardie).
He always found a way to keep up with the many chances despite his defensive bent as a coach. The game has been so much better for his involvement and he will be missed.
After a staggering 44-year involvement in the game he loved as a player and coach may he enjoy a wonderful retirement. He certainly deserves it.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
The Blues have truly stood up and are a genuine flag threat in 2024 and they have their younger brigade of troops to thank for it.
We’re taking a look at one player from each team that needs to make a difference this week, starting with the ANZAC Day games.
Jonathan Brown has made a passionate plea to the AFL on On the Couch to give players leeway as they make split-second decisions, following…
Brisbane star Charlie Cameron is free to face Geelong on Saturday after the AFL Tribunal used its discretion to turn his one-game suspension into…
Round 5 of the AFL provided plenty of action, from big scorelines to upset wins and pressure starting to build on some clubs and coaches already.
There's plenty of time left in the 2024 season, so there's a chance we will see a better win than what Adelaide produced to…
