The Carlton Football Club has sacked Mick Malthouse as head coach on Tuesday afternoon. After meeting with club directors, Malthouse was notified that he would no longer coach the side effective immediately.
Malthouse was a notable absentee from the press conference held to formally announce the decision by the Carlton Football Club. Malthouse left the meeting without answering any questions to the media.
Malthouse spoke on SEN radio on Tuesday morning, claiming his future was out of his hands and that boards sack coaches when they crack under pressure. (ABC online)
Malthouse was passionate during the interview.
“As long as I have breath in my lungs, I’m not going to let them down.”
He did give the impression that he felt that his job was clearly on the line, which may have been the catalyst for the pressure on the Carlton board to let the 30-year veteran go.
“We go to Sydney with a depleted side and then play Adelaide when we hopefully get a couple back,” Malthouse commented.
“I don’t know what we gain from those two games that people don’t know already.”
“It is out of my hands.”
“Boards crack under pressure, and the first to go is the coach. It relieves a little pressure and they get to puff their chests out.”
Malthouse was able to speak with players at training this afternoon to notify them of the board’s decision. Players looked dejected leaving the ground, clearly upset at the news.
“I think the main emotion is just one of sadness for Mick because he’s a wonderful coach and he’s been really put through the ringer throughout this whole process,” said Chris Judd to media outside the facilities.
John Barker, one of Malthouse’s assistants, has been confirmed as interim coach.
“We’re sad for him but we stick by the club and get behind John Barker now,” Judd commented.
Mick Malthouse joined Carlton in
President Mark LoGiudice and chief executive Steven Trigg spoke to media at a press conference to cover the detail of Malthouse’s dismissal.
“Over the last couple of days there have been a number of things that have popped up that are not on the same line,” commented LoGiudice.
Malthouse joined the club in 2013 after coaching Footscray, West Coast and Collingwood. Carlton is enduring a disappointing season 2015 (currently in last position on 4 points) and Malthouse is coming off his worst season as a coach in 2014 only winning 7 games.
MICK MALTHOUSE: A COACHING LIFE
Debut: Round 1, 1984. Footscray d Richmond by 39 points at Western Oval
Footscray 1984-89: 135 games, 67 wins, 66 losses, two draws, three finals
West Coast 1990-99: 243 games, 156 wins, 85 losses, two draws, 25 finals, three Grand Finals, two premierships (1992, 1994)
Collingwood 2000-11: 286 games, 163 wins, 121 losses, two draws, 22 finals, five Grand Finals, one premiership (2010)
Carlton 2013-15: 54 games, 20 wins, 33 losses, one draw, twofinals
Career: 718 games, 406 wins, 305 losses, 7 draws, 56.5 per cent success rate, 52 finals, eight Grand Finals, three premierships