Coaching legend Michael Malthouse slams Melbourne’s appointment of Gary Pert

COACHING legend Michael Malthouse has revealed his bad blood with Gary Pert after the former Collingwood CEO ‘threw his lot in with Nathan’ Buckley during Mick’s coaching tenure. Read the explosive comments.

Gary Pert will take over as CEO at Melbourne. Picture: AAP Images

COACHING legend Michael Malthouse has revealed his bad blood with Gary Pert and said he was surprised Pert landed Melbourne’s new chief executive role.

In a stunning broadside, Malthouse admitted he and Pert “didn’t get on” during their final years at Collingwood together because Pert “threw his lot in with Nathan (Buckley) early”, making things for Malthouse “very, very difficult”.

Pert was moved on from Collingwood last year and will replace Peter Jackson as Melbourne’s new chief executive this year.

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Malthouse said he believed Collingwood was better off for his departure.

“There just seemed to be, from what I can gather, a bit of relief from (Collingwood) staff,” Malthouse said.

“I heard they were pleased that he went, put it that way.”

While Melbourne president Glen Bartlett last night said he was thrilled with Pert’s appointment, Malthouse was less certain about the move, given Collingwood’s off-field problems in recent years.

Gary Pert after stepping down as Collingwood CEO last year. Picture: AAP Images

Collingwood missed finals for the past four years, helping prompt a thorough review of the whole club under respected businessman Peter Murphy and footy boss Geoff Walsh.

The Pies (8-4) have since launched back up the ladder this year and are on track for a September berth under Buckley.

Malthouse said there was some “hostility” around Pert’s position at the club last year.

“I’m just interested with the way he left Collingwood for a start-off, and that he finds himself in a position of getting that job at Melbourne virtually straight-off because there was a lot of hostility when he left and a lot of things they said they needed to get right,” Malthouse said on ABC radio.

“So to bring a person back into the game that quick, unless those things were pointed out that he could turn around.

“I’ve got to say I’m very surprised because there was a fair bit in house that I don’t think was very nice and was not said about him a lot of things were attributed to his failings, and why Collingwood were failing.

“Not necessarily on the ground, but the mix with the women’s comp and the membership and sponsorship and falling attendances and all that.

“You can’t blame one person for all of those things but it wasn’t a great wrap if you like coming from inside the club filtering out in my case, so I’m surprised.”

Pert and Collingwood president Eddie McGuire oversaw Collingwood’s controversial succession plan which arranged for Malthouse to hand over the coaching reins to Buckley at the end of 2011.

Gary Pert, Mick Malthouse and Nathan Buckley watch on after the 2011 Grand Final loss.

McGuire said this morning it was no secret Pert and Malthouse didn’t see eye to eye.

“Mick Malthouse, did he have a falling out along the way and did ‘Perty’ have a similar fractious relationship at Collingwood for a number of years? Yes,” McGuire said on Triple M.

“Was it fractious during the great years? Yes, it was.

“Was it fractious after the great years at Collingwood? Yes it was.

“Do they like each other? No they don’t, let’s be honest about it.”

But McGuire said they both made huge contributions to Collingwood’s on and off-field success, in particular, in 2010-11.

McGuire said football clubs needed strong characters to perform.

“Some of that (friction) was planned, to be absolutely honest,” McGuire said.

“When you have a football department which is strong, sometimes you need to have an administration which is strong as well and Gary Pert being a champion footballer and a well-placed administrator was positioned into the football department at times to make sure everything was going the right way.

“As the president of the club, you sometimes position people into situations.

“Yeah, there was no doubt there was some friction there along the way and agreements made and falling out along the journey in the succession plan.

“That’s been and gone.

“I don’t mind it because that’s Mick’s point of view and it is as honest as you will get from anyone.”

Mick Malthouse has spoken about his relationship with Gary Pert.

Collingwood won the flag in 2010 and were beaten by Geelong in the 2011 Grand Final.

Malthouse said he had a strained relationship with Pert.

“It’s easy to pot from the outside but internally when I was there, no we didn’t get on, that’s just a simple fact of life,” Malthouse said.

“He threw his lot in with Nathan very early, I was pushed to the background and found things very difficult, very, very difficult.

“That’s more a personality thing and in his case he helped with Nathan’s development and that’s the way it is, but I’m surprised he got a job so quickly back in the football industry.”

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