Central District chose Kevin ‘Cowboy’ Neale over Mick Malthouse as coach in 1983

MICHAEL Malthouse’s record breaking coaching career came within a whisker of starting with Central District in the SANFL.

AFL Rd 8 - St Kilda v Carlton

MICHAEL Malthouse’s record breaking coaching career came within a whisker of starting with Central District in the SANFL.

Only a lack of coaching experience denied him the job.

Having called an end to his VFL playing days with St Kilda and Richmond at the end of the 1983 season, Malthouse chased the Bulldogs role and impressed the club in his interview at their Elizabeth clubrooms.

The Bulldogs coaching gig for 1984 came down to a decision between Kevin Neale and Malthouse. The club chose Neale.

“Malthouse was very impressive in his interview and very, very professional,’’ said Bulldogs general manager Kris Grant, who was in the role back then and sat in on the interview.

“Cowboy Neale had been coaching at Ainslie (ACT), a successful and professionally run club, and he had been there for a few years.

“Our decision came down to an experienced person against a non-experienced person and we chose Cowboy. It was a close call. It was a long time ago but I can remember Malthouse interviewing very well.

“Neale got us in the finals in that period though.’’

After missing out on the Bulldogs job, Malthouse was offered the Richmond head coaching position after the Tigers opted not to continue with Francis Bourke. That offer was withdrawn, as was the subsequent offer to coach the Tigers reserves.

The Bulldogs won a club record 16 games to grab the double chance in Neale’s first season in charge when Steven Trigg was captain, only to finish fourth.

Malthouse, meanwhile, eventually won the coaching role at the VFL Bulldogs, Footscray, where he coached from 1984-1989 before continuing his record-breaking career at West Coast, Collingwood and Carlton.

He will break Jock McHale’s long-standing VFL/AFL record when he coaches his 715th game at the top level on Friday night.

Originally published as Central District chose Kevin ‘Cowboy’ Neale over Mick Malthouse as coach in 1983