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.
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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.
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.
“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.
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.
Longtimeblue
Guest
I concur totally.... but am hoping Simpson goes around one more time, I think he has it in him. They could have done a lot worse then to have replaced Judd with Simpson instead of Murph a few years back. With a view to have Murph take the job over either this season or next, it would have been a far better transition for all.
The Original Buzz
Guest
In my opinion, He is not a great coach, he is an average coach who did not know when to quit. He could not judge players on their form or ability, had no idea on game plan and there was no plan B. It was plain as day that he didn’t listen to his assistants either.
The Original Buzz
Guest
Longtimeblue, that was an article in itself. It was well written though, normally I would skim through these but I read it all. I am one who was against MM right from the first murmurings about him coming to Carlton. In my opinion, He is not a great coach, he is an average coach who did not know when to quit. He could not judge players on their form or ability, had no idea on game plan and there was no plan B. It was plain as day that he didn't listen to his assistants eitther. I would like to see the blues get a good solid forward target and another two mid-fielders to replace Judd and possibly Carrots and Simmo at the end of the year. I hope Barker does a great job with the Blues and keeps the job. Based on his first two weeks (not even nearly enough to make a decent judgement) he is getting something out of them that MM never could and never would have. The Crows game was exciting to watch and showed that we really do have what it takes to mix it with some good teams under a decent coach. The boys can take real confidence from that game and build on it regardless of wins and losses.
Longtimeblue
Guest
Malthouse did not work at CFC. I’m sure he has some very fine coaching attributes but facts are facts….he let Waite, Garlett and Eddie go and replaced them with a hope and a prayer. From the outside looking in, it appeared to me from the get go that all three of these players did not fit MM’s vision of the ideal player in a MM created team (throw Mitch Robinson into that put as well) especially in terms of how they conducted themselves on the park and how they carried themselves off it. MM won’t tolerate acts of individualism, and remember we are talking about someone who has perhaps a warped sense of what constitutes acts of individualism (warped may be a bit strong..let’s say he has a very old fashioned mindset in this area) and all the players mentioned above in one way or another displayed signs Mick didn’t appreciate….Eddie’s after-goal celebrations (adored by all CFC fans mind you), Garlett’s seemingly apathetic body language during games, Jarrod Waite’s…well there are too many to list here so let’s just go for his obligatory brain-snaps that would lead to weeks spent donning the CFC tie watching his team mates from the stands. As for Mitch Robinson, he didn’t stand a hope of lasting longer then a season. Mitch plays on pure instinct regardless of the collateral damage to his body. Realistically, telling MM a load of porkies about a night spent on the turps just made the whole thing a lot simpler and cleaner. Now MM knew that by getting rid of these players he would be knee-capping his own team’s ability to score goals.In a way he was unfortunate that the players involved (sans Robinson) just happened to be the club’s three best goal scorers… but that doesn’t in anyway mitigate the disastrous situation that the club finds itself mired in presently up forward. MM knew what he was doing. It was MM’s way or the highway and he backed his own tried and tested (?) methodology. Well it failed, big time. The game has moved on, society has changed rapidly in the past 20 years. Subsequently so have young adults and those in there mid to late teens. Mick hasn’t. The stark reality is that MM was unable to successfully coach these players to bring out the best of them… he was unable to allow them some leeway so that they could be themselves…all the players mentioned above needed to be handled slightly differently….it required some flexibility, some lateral thinking, some empathy…it required the ability to recognize that players are individuals and not all of them are going to fit to one person’s set pre-deposition. Brett Ratten understood this and that’s why when his CFC teams were rolling at their peak the football was beautiful to watch and the score attendants always had busy afternoons. Every true CFC supporter understood this as well…..and they accepted it, Sure it was frustrating when Waite would needlessly sling an opponent into the fence after the ball was OOB and subsequently miss the next couple of weeks….but it was a small price to pay for the games that he lit up when on song. As for Betts and Garlett, well few CFC players were cheered more or loved more by Blues fans…Eddie especially. The decision to refuse to shell out another couple of 100 grand (at worse) to keep him a Blue was unforgivable and stupid in all senses…football wise, morale wise, economically wise… there were some I’m sure who would attend games due to the enjoyment and entertainment Eddie alone provided. I severely doubt those fans have seen a Carlton game live for a while now. Mitch was the same… he was insane, all Blues fans knew it… and loved it. His ferocious and kamikaze head first charges at the ball or at the opposition were inspiring and warmed the souls of us true Blue fans. These players all possessed certain qualities that are uncommon to all but exist in a few….attributes that all great or even all successful teams have throughout there playing list. The Blues current list is bereft of them all. MM very clearly and very obviously had a methodology he believed would be successful at CFC. It did not work. It had failed in any way you wish to judge it. Some, even a majority of Blues fans will tell you that it was always going to fail. It just isn’t CFC. We do things our way…unique to CFC…for good or for bad. To exemplify this, I think back to some of our past champions and to those who played in past successful CFC teams and wonder just how long they would have lasted in a MM coached era….hmm let’s see….the likes of Mark Maclure, Diesel Williams, Nicho, Percy Jones, Glenn Manton and of course, the Duke, Earl Spalding. I could name dozens more but I think the point is made. If any more proof was required that MM had passed his use-by date I proffer the following list of bizarre decisions made this year alone: • The decision to replace Jamieson with Warnock; • The decision to replace Carrazzo with Warnock; • The continuation of the Woods/Warnock combination in the same team; • The decision to leave undersized and inexperienced defenders on dominating and much bigger opposition forwards, regardless of how many times they get toweled up in a quarter; • The decision to tag an opposition champion with a young single digit-gamer....and then to leave the tag as it all game to somehow teach the youngster something they needed to know….regardless of how such a match up costs the team as a whole and how badly it may affect the youngster themselves; • The bizarre ‘in and out’ selection treatment of Troy Menzel, Dylan Buckley and Nick Graham; • The bizarre continuing faith he shows at the selection table with the underperforming David Ellard, Mark Wiley, Liam Jones and Robbie Warnock. • The decision to swap pick 7 for pick 19 in return for 2 GWS cast offs…GWS don’t give up quality players for a pick 12 places higher in the draft….as has proven to be the case. The Blues need every single place in the Draft, we cannot afford to be throwing away a #7 draft pick. John Barker has already shown enough in 2 games to suggest that not all is lost for the Blues....it is his time and if the Blues are serious about acknowledging the mistakes made previously cannot continue to be made, they would do well to stitch him up as Senior coach ASAP. For he is a real up and comer in the coaching ranks, in the shadow of no one, without any CFC political ties weighing him down. For me here is a guy seeking to be a successful coach at thee start of his career, what a refreshing change to what we have been accustomed to at Princes Park...i.e. the 'coup' of signing a big name coach who has already tasted success themselves elsewhere. Being kind, you can say they therefore had nothing to prove as they have already achieved.....and if you wanted to be unkind, perhaps seeing the job as a bridge to retirement, big $'s at a 'traditional powerhouse' with plenty of media afforded them. John Barker is tomorrow's MM or Denis Pagan or even Ross Lyon or Paul Roos. He is someone who can better identify and understand the mentality of the current crop of players and he has already demonstrated he is not afraid to put the team ethic before the individual....where the individual has let down the team. That's far different to crushing a player's individualism for the sake of ensuring he has a 'compliant' team ethic. Let's hope all the noise about revamping the way the CFC go about dragging the once proud Blues back to respectability is backed up with sincere action....and the first step would be to retain Barker.
TD
Guest
He wasn't that good
Karen
Guest
The football Media (footy shows alike) sacked a great coach in Mick Malthouse great shame on you.
Karen
Guest
My love and passion for the AFL has come to an end. How the media has reported on Mick Malthouse this entire season is absolutely disgusting. Their intent has not been focused on his role as coach (good coach according to the best - Chris Judd), but the intent has been pure evil in heart, to attack the man, the person himself. Maybe it was an intentional ploy to get the attention off James Hird as some have mentioned to me. Goodbye to AFL you stand for nothing.
The Original Buzz
Guest
It was very interesting. The body language of the Carlton Hierarchy spoke volumes and I immediately knew what was coming when I saw that. I said that night that Malthouse wouldn't last the week. And yes, it was unmissable, gut wrenching drama!
The Original Buzz
Guest
I couldn't see Woosha at Carlton. I think they need to get a coach that has had a lot of years in the assistants role under some winning coaches. Elliot and Kernahan werer two people I really didn't like as a Blues fan. Kernahan bugged me even when he was playing and Elliott is, was and always will be an obnoxious loud-mouth. The current board will pull their heads in and it will be quieter waters for a while. I believe the Blues are back on the right track but must pick a good coach to get some success and respect back to the club.
The Original Buzz
Guest
I agree. He should have stayed there too.
The Original Buzz
Guest
Do you think Mick had an Ear piece with Eddie out t he back feeding him lines for the Media? (Maybe that's where the idea for "Old Man Crawf" came from?)
The Original Buzz
Guest
They need a like button on here. Lol
The Original Buzz
Guest
Malthouse never was going to fit in at Carlton and should never have gone there in the first place. He was still bitter about Collingwood and is just a bitter, angry man. Malthouse is a one man circus and the media love him for it. Kernahan and Swan brought him in with very little consideration or forethought for anything other than he was available and had a good track record. Fortunately, those two are now history and I believe LoGuidice and Trigg will be very good for the Blues. If they can snare the right coach and give him all the support he needs, they will become the team they once were. Look at the Bulldogs, Port and even Melbourne are on the rise. Mostly from a good coach coming in (on the flip side there are those that failed). As for the players, develop the kids this year and then sort the chaff from the hay at the end of the season. I think there is real talent there that just needs the right motivation (and less external pressure) for them to become good footballers. So far, I can't think of even one player that hasn't shown that they have the potential. Admittedly it has only been a brief glimpse from some of them but it is there.
jax
Guest
"Mick isn’t to blame for Carlton’s playing list, but surely he carries primary responsibility for the attitude, effort and confidence displayed by his players on match day" I agree in principle but it might run deeper than that. I can't be sure but if I was working for any other company as a manager (Mick) and my boss (the board) sent a different message or acted differently to how I did it might be a struggle for me to do my job effectively.
jax
Guest
I agree Cam
jax
Guest
"now he will be remembered as a dud" No chance of that happening. Maybe a small minority of people will think that but the vast majority will look back over his 30 year coaching career with gratitude and respect.
lyn
Guest
I couldn't agree with you moore Poohdini. Eddie was spot on when he made the changeover and got Bucks to coach, he knew Malthouse had the same tired old game plan. He should have retired after collingwood and be remembered as a great coach, now he will be remembered as a dud. The trouble with Carlton is they have always wanted to be Collingwood they go after our disgarded players, our CEO.Our ex coach Our sports scientist and if Eddie was free!!! I would just like to know - which gurnsey the Malthouse clan will be wearing now? Will Daisy retire ( as he wouldn't get the coin he is on now) and who is he going to have kick to kick with before a game? As hard as they try they will never be Us - Carltonwood BAHAW HAW
johno
Guest
I think you could just say "media" and not just sports media ....
Jeremy Ansell
Roar Rookie
Malthouse has been saying all season how he won't quit and will see out his contract yet goes on radio and in all essence handed in his resignation letter. The board clearly had no other option than to do what they did. Both parties have created this debacle and it will be fun watching the blame game between them for the rest of the season/decade/century.
BigAl
Guest
' ”why bring sticks into this” = Carlton in a nutshell. ' - this is the most apt phrase within a post I've seen here for a while ! - well done mattyb