Mick Malthouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mick Malthouse |
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Michael Raymond Malthouse | ||
| Date of birth | 17 August 1953 | ||
| Place of birth | Ballarat, Victoria | ||
| Original team | North Ballarat | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Michael Raymond Malthouse (born 17 August 1953) is a famous former Australian rules football player and coach. He played for the St Kilda Football Club and Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
After his playing days, Malthouse became a very successful coach. He led teams like Footscray, West Coast, Collingwood, and Carlton. He helped the West Coast Eagles win their first two AFL championships in 1992 and 1994. Later, he guided Collingwood to their 15th VFL/AFL championship in 2010. In the 2015 AFL season, Malthouse coached more VFL/AFL games than anyone else, breaking a record held by the legendary Collingwood coach Jock McHale. He finished his coaching career with 718 games over 31 seasons.
Since retiring from coaching, Malthouse has stayed involved in football. He often works in sports media, especially on ABC Radio.
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Mick Malthouse was born in Ballarat, Victoria. His dad, Ray, was a plasterer, and his mum was Marie. He also has a younger sister named Gerardine.
Playing Career Highlights
St Kilda Football Club
Mick started playing football for St Kilda in 1972. He played 53 senior games, including three finals. His coach, Allan Jeans, told him it would be hard to get a regular spot because there were too many players like him. So, in 1976, he moved to Richmond.
Richmond Football Club
At Richmond, Malthouse played 121 senior games. This included six finals and a big championship win over Collingwood in the 1980 Grand Final. He was known as a tough and strong defender. In 1982, he played every game of the regular season for the first time. However, he dislocated his shoulder before the Grand Final and missed the game. He stopped playing in 1983.
Coaching Journey
Footscray: 1984–1989
In January 1984, the Footscray coach suddenly quit. Mick Malthouse, who had just retired from playing, heard about the job on the radio while on holiday. Club officials asked him to coach, and he was officially appointed on January 13. He hadn't expected to become a senior coach so soon.
Malthouse believed in a strong team game. He said, "My plans are all about playing as a team. I'm not looking for individual performances. I want players who are consistent and can work together on and off the field." During his time at the Bulldogs, he was known for being strict with his players. The team finished 7th (1984), 3rd (1985), 8th (1986), 7th (1987), 8th (1988), and 13th (1989). He was praised for his hard work and professional approach. Malthouse left the club at the end of 1989.
West Coast Eagles: 1990–1999
After leaving Footscray, Malthouse became the senior coach for the West Coast Eagles in 1990. The previous coach, John Todd, had been let go after the Eagles finished 11th in 1989. For ten years, Malthouse led the West Coast Eagles.
In 1991, the Eagles won their first 12 games and finished first in the regular season. This was a first for the club. They played their first AFL final outside of Victoria. During Malthouse's time, the Eagles made the finals every year. They won championships in 1992 and 1994. They were also runners-up in the 1991 Grand Final. At the end of the 1999, Malthouse stepped down as West Coast Eagles coach.
Collingwood: 2000–2011
Collingwood Football Club president Eddie McGuire brought Malthouse to the Magpies. He took over from Tony Shaw, who resigned after the club finished last in 1999. Malthouse led Collingwood to the finals in eight of his twelve seasons. They played in Grand Finals in 2002, 2003, 2010 (twice), and 2011.
In Malthouse's first year at Collingwood in 2000, the team finished 15th. In 2001, they just missed the finals, finishing 9th.
In 2002, Malthouse guided Collingwood to the 2002 AFL Grand Final. They lost to the Brisbane Lions by nine points. In 2003, Collingwood reached the 2003 AFL Grand Final again, but lost to Brisbane for the second year in a row.
In 2004 and 2005, Collingwood's performance dropped, finishing 13th and 15th. However, in 2006, they returned to the finals but lost the elimination final. They made the finals again in 2007 and 2008.
In July 2009, Collingwood announced a plan for Malthouse to hand over coaching to club legend Nathan Buckley at the end of the 2011 season. In 2009, Collingwood made the finals again but lost in the preliminary final.
In 2010, Malthouse led Collingwood to a championship win. After the first drawn AFL/VFL Grand Final since 1977, Collingwood won the replay by 56 points against St Kilda. This was the club's biggest Grand Final win and their first championship since 1990.
In 2011, Malthouse guided Collingwood to another Grand Final, this time against the Geelong Cats. Collingwood lost the 2011 AFL Grand Final to Geelong by 38 points. This was his last game as Collingwood's senior coach. After the game, Malthouse handed over the coaching role to Nathan Buckley as planned.
Years later, in 2019, Malthouse said he felt his departure from Collingwood was like being fired. He also said the "Director of Coaching" role he was offered was not what he expected. He felt there was no point in staying.
Carlton: 2013–2015
Malthouse was announced as the senior coach of the Carlton Football Club on 11 September 2012. He replaced Brett Ratten for the next three seasons. In 2013, the Blues initially finished ninth. However, they were moved to eighth place and made the finals after Essendon was penalized for a supplements issue. Carlton then beat Richmond in an elimination final, making Malthouse the most successful finals coach ever. However, Carlton was eliminated by the Sydney Swans in the semi-final.
Carlton struggled in the following years. In 2014, they finished 13th. In 2015, the club was last after eight rounds. On 26 May 2015, Malthouse was fired as Carlton's senior coach. This happened hours after he criticized the club's leaders in a radio interview. Assistant coach John Barker took over as caretaker coach for the rest of the season.
Years later, in 2021, Malthouse said his biggest disappointment was not looking deeper into Carlton's lack of future planning before he signed on. He felt the board focused too much on past wins and not enough on current challenges. He also said there was a lack of support from the board.
Playing and Coaching Achievements
- 1985 and 1991 Players Association Coach of the Year
- 1991 Inaugural AFL Coach of the Year
- 1992 Institute of Sport Coach of the Year
- Richmond championship player 1980
- West Coast championship coach 1992 and 1994
- West Coast Eagles Hall of Fame
- 2008 International Rules Series Coach
- 2010 International Rules Series Coach
- 2010 AFLCA Coach of the Year
- Collingwood championship coach 2010
- Second longest-serving coach of the Collingwood FC after Jock McHale.
- Most games coached at AFL/VFL level.
- Third most wins as coach (all time).
Family Life
Malthouse is married and has four children. One of his children is sports reporter and AFL boundary rider Christi Malthouse.
Media Career
Malthouse has worked as a media commentator for various outlets. He spent time as a guest commentator for SEN 1116. In 2012, he was a commentator for the Seven Network and radio station 3AW. He also wrote for The West Australian newspaper. He appeared weekly on the 5AA sports show. In 2016, Malthouse joined SEN 1116 as a match commentator and became coach of The Recruit TV series. After leaving SEN in 2017, Malthouse joined the ABC as a football commentator.
Life After Coaching
Malthouse has said he would be interested in a senior coaching role in Cricket Australia. He has also released an autobiography called The Ox is Slow but the Earth is Patient.
In 2012, La Trobe University appointed Malthouse as a Vice Chancellor's Fellow. In this role, he works with staff, students, and the community. He also helps develop sports programs at the university. Malthouse believes that education needs more than just knowledge and skills. He thinks it also needs real-world experience, teamwork, leadership skills, and community involvement.
Legacy and Impact
Malthouse has been described as a strong and serious person. His passion for the game was clear, and he always wanted to win. He was able to change and adapt to the game as it evolved.
Brian Cook, a former West Coast Eagles CEO, worked with Malthouse. Cook said Malthouse's dedication and determination were old-school values. He was very consistent and always had his own way of training and playing. Cook admired how Malthouse focused on small details and made sure his players were very professional. Malthouse was also good at finding players with great character, even if they weren't super talented, and turning them into great footballers.
Neil Balme, a former football operations manager at Collingwood, said Malthouse was unique. "He loves the game and encourages people to be honest," Balme said. "He's very much a footballer's footballer."
Marc Murphy, a former Carlton captain who played under Malthouse, had mixed feelings. He said Malthouse was a great coach, but his time at Carlton didn't work out well for the players. Murphy felt Malthouse was a very strict leader.
Troy Menzel, another former Carlton player, had a positive experience with Malthouse. Menzel said, "I got along really well with Mick. He taught me a lot and has an amazing football brain." He added, "The way he sees things and explains things, you'd go, 'I would never have thought of it that way.'"
Images for kids
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Mick Malthouse
