Media Street: Mick Malthouse, Craig Kelly tension lingers in ABC commentary box

Old feuds die hard, even in footy media. And Mick Malthouse’s long memory played out in dramatic fashion during an ABC interview.

Mick Malthouse. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Rivalries throughout the AFL world live on long after the heat of the battle is over.

We’re tipping Dayne Zorko and Touk Miller won’t be exchanging Christmas cards in retirement, and it’s the same in the media.

While footballers joining the media have to obviously expand their horizons away from the team they were associated with, there is still some baggage which always seems to linger.

Mick Malthouse certainly took no prisoners as a player and coach and, like many from of his generation, he has a long memory.

The Collingwood and West Coast premiership coach is the main man alongside Geelong premiership captain Cameron Ling on the ABC’s Friday night radio coverage.

Malthouse has a unique take on the game and calls a spade a spade, but he went missing for 10 minutes of last week’s pre-game show before the blockbuster Collingwood-Carlton clash.

Every station has a rundown from the producer of what’s on in the lead-up to the first bounce and when Malthouse saw who the main guest for the evening was, he put his headphones down and slipped out of the commentary box.

A couple of minutes later Collingwood CEO Craig Kelly appeared in the ABC box.

It turns out Malthouse is still dirty about Kelly’s involvement in the botched handover to Nathan Buckley at Collingwood.

Mick Malthouse has a long memory. Picture: AAP Image/Daniel Pockett

Collingwood CEO Craig Kelly (right) chats with Magpies legend Peter Daicos. Picture: Michael Klein

Kelly was manager of Buckley at the time and, from Malthouse’s perspective, was a driving force in ending his coaching career at the Magpies prematurely back in 2011.

So the thought of sitting next to him and pretending everyone was warm and fuzzy on radio didn’t appeal to Malthouse.

What he missed was a heated interview where Kelly clashed with host Kelli Underwood, who questioned the Magpies boss about the state of the AFLW.

“What on earth is happening with the women’s competition at the moment, it feels like it has plateaued,” Underwood asked.

Kelly replied by saying it was a “rabbit hole” she didn’t want to go down.

“The fun our girls have every training, the music and all the stuff each day that happens is amazing, the focus is there,” the Magpies CEO said.

Kelli Underwood grilled Craig Kelly over the state of the AFLW competition. Picture: David Caird

“But we have to go on the journey, we can’t just squeeze the lemon and start handing out cash that we haven’t got as a whole competition.”

Underwood then queried the AFL’s commitment to the women’s game, pointing out that cricket and soccer were benefiting from investing heavily in their sports.

“You don’t think we have invested,” Kelly said before bringing up the recent demise of Collingwood’s netball side.

“I have just blown up the lives, we have just blown up the lives of these amazing athletes and coaches ... there were tears, me included, I hated it.”

It was live radio at its best with Underwood more than standing her own, which certainly put a smile on Malthouse’s face when he quietly slipped back into the box.