Congratulations Mick Malthouse

[Remi Moses]

Well done and congratulations to Mick on breaking the all time coaching record.
Whatever your opinions are it's one heck of an achievement .
He's still the best coach of the club in my lifetime

[LostDoggy]

No comment.

[Maddog37]

Massive effort to survive for so long in an industry that eats its own.

[Twodogs]

I was just saying to my son that I was at Mick's first game as coach and I've been to nearly every game he's coached. Apart from nearly all of the West Coast ones. And the Colliingwood ones, I did see them lose a final though. And most of the Carlton games. Apart from that nearly 100%.

He was a very good coach at the Bulldogs. Pretty much exactly what we needed at the time when we had gathered a pretty fair playing group that was ready to take the next step.

[chef]

Well done Micky, he was a great coach for us for a while.

[GVGjr]

Great coach and magnificent achievement.

[Ozza]

A staggering achievement in modern footy.

I was only 6 when he left the bulldogs, so really no genuine memories of him being our coach - and have always disliked his demeanour/public persona. But respect the achievement, and his coaching - regardless.

[Webby]

Mick was the first Footscray coach I saw who you could faithfully say "This bloke's a very good coach. We're in safe hands, here."

Bob Rose was obviously very good, but unfortunately, his son, Peter's accident understandably took his focus away. Don McKenzie never really came with kudos, Royce Hart was a disaster and Bluey Hampshire was loveable but something was missing.

With Malthouse, we got a young, strong, intense character to lead a young and upcoming team. He was no nonsense, driven and hard. He was only a touch older than some of the players! We were a young, exciting team. They were good times.

Unfortunately for all of us, the club was broke. Mick had a young family and an employer who couldn't guarantee him a job. Therefore, when a rich employer comes along and offers security and double your salary, what would anyone do?

1989 was an emotionally charged time. I was at the Dogs v WCE game in 1990 when one of our fans spat on him. That was, for me, one of the saddest incidents I've seen. I have good memories of Mick from his time with us. I wouldn't mind seeing him invited back to the club as a guest once he retires.

Congratulations Mick.

[Webby]

Just as a quick follow up, a couple of semi-interesting facts:

Mick's first game coaching was Rd 1, 1984. We beat Richmond.
Mick was younger than Murphy, Boyd and Morris at the time.
He was younger than some of the players he was coaching against (ie Barry Rowlings and Merv Keane)
A player in the opposition team was current rookie Adelaide coach, Phil Walsh (who is only 6 years Mick's junior)
Finally, in the Richmond lineup was a player called Neil Peart...

Mick convinced Peart to cross from Richmond to Footscray in 1985. Peart broke into the Footscray side in Rd 16 and held his spot in all but one of the remaining games in our 1985 campaign - including two finals against Hawthorn.

For some reason, he crossed back to Richmond the following season and his career fizzled out. Always found that a mystery..

[Twodogs]

Just as a quick follow up, a couple of semi-interesting facts:

Mick's first game coaching was Rd 1, 1984. We beat Richmond.
Mick was younger than Murphy, Boyd and Morris at the time.
He was younger than some of the players he was coaching against (ie Barry Rowlings and Merv Keane)
A player in the opposition team was current rookie Adelaide coach, Phil Walsh (who is only 6 years Mick's junior)
Finally, in the Richmond lineup was a player called Neil Peart...

Mick convinced Peart to cross from Richmond to Footscray in 1985. Peart broke into the Footscray side in Rd 16 and held his spot in all but one of the remaining games in our 1985 campaign - including two finals against Hawthorn.

For some reason, he crossed back to Richmond the following season and his career fizzled out. Always found that a mystery..

Did Simon the Pieman kick the lazy 12 that day?

[Webby]

Did Simon the Pieman kick the lazy 12 that day?

A lazy 11. He followed up with 8 the following week and then a 5... Then went into a slump - kicking only two goals over the following four weeks. He came out of his slump to kick four against Collingwood - the last of which was THAT mark and goal courtesy of Gubby Allen. The one where Jock Edmond was caught on close up camera shot screaming at Allen "You're f__d in the head!"

Anyway, Beasley looked like kicking 150 goals after 3 rounds, yet only managed 62 in the end. Mick's first season as coach was Beeza's worst for the club (retirement season aside). Mick's first focus was always defence.

[Twodogs]

A lazy 11. He followed up with 8 the following week and then a 5... Then went into a slump - kicking only two goals over the following four weeks. He came out of his slump to kick four against Collingwood - the last of which was THAT mark and goal courtesy of Gubby Allen. The one where Jock Edmond was caught on close up camera shot screaming at Allen "You're f__d in the head!"

Anyway, Beasley looked like kicking 150 goals after 3 rounds, yet only managed 62 in the end. Mick's first season as coach was Beeza's worst for the club (retirement season aside). Mick's first focus was always defence.


Did Jon Riley play his one and only game for us that day? He was an interesting story.

[jeemak]

He has been a great servant to the game in many ways over time, and he should be congratulated for breaking the all time games record and the success he has had as an AFL coach.

I don't feel the need to provide him with too much adulation, however. He leaves the house hovering about even with the card in my view, depending on how I'm feeling on the day. He behaves too appallingly for my taste.

[Remi Moses]

Did Jon Riley play his one and only game for us that day? He was an interesting story.

Jon was a nuclear scientist . Wasn't to many of them in Footscray :D
Neil Peart was a pretty handy cricketer as well .

[Remi Moses]

Just as a quick follow up, a couple of semi-interesting facts:

Mick's first game coaching was Rd 1, 1984. We beat Richmond.
Mick was younger than Murphy, Boyd and Morris at the time.
He was younger than some of the players he was coaching against (ie Barry Rowlings and Merv Keane)
A player in the opposition team was current rookie Adelaide coach, Phil Walsh (who is only 6 years Mick's junior)
Finally, in the Richmond lineup was a player called Neil Peart...

Mick convinced Peart to cross from Richmond to Footscray in 1985. Peart broke into the Footscray side in Rd 16 and held his spot in all but one of the remaining games in our 1985 campaign - including two finals against Hawthorn.

For some reason, he crossed back to Richmond the following season and his career fizzled out. Always found that a mystery..

Mick's 1987 was extraordinary .
That looked like a bottom side at the start of the year, yet they should have played finals .
We lost players and were running on fumes financially, and yet the players pulled together remarkably .
Malthouse still says this was his favourite and best year he coached