AFL 2024: Mick Malthouse on Craig McRae and what it takes to make the difficult decisions at Collingwood

Magpie legends Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom are under pressure to hold their spots as the club’s premiership defence flaters. But, a coaching great says one move can save the veteran pair.

AFL great Mick Malthouse was as cold as coaches come – when he had to be.

In 2010, the year of the Collingwood premiership, Malthouse made the “very, very difficult and unpleasant’’ decisions to dispense with Tarkyn Lockyer, Shane O’Bree and Josh Fraser during the season, three players who had served him and the Magpies with distinction for more than a decade.

It wasn’t personal, Malthouse said, it was about what was best for the team.

“I treat people on two things – one the footballer, and one the person – and you have to do that,’’ Malthouse said. “And you’ve got be careful about mixing friendships or leanings towards players at the expense of putting a better team together.

“Craig McRae is a ripping bloke, but I don’t know if he keeps the players at arms’ length, but we’ll soon find out because you get tested to make these decisions.’’

Craig McRae and veteran Steele Sidebottom. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

At Collingwood’s fourth game, McRae is not yet at the point where he might consider tough calls on his much-revered veterans – Scott Pendlebury, 36, Steele Sidebottom, 33, Jeremy Howe, 33, and Jamie Elliott, 31. The key word there is yet.

As well, Mason Cox is 33, Brody Mihocek is 31 and Jack Crisp, Tom Mitchell and Will Hoskin-Elliott are all 30. Make no mistake, if it’s a loss to the Brisbane Lions on Thursday night, which would leave the Pies with an unexpected 0-4 start, the “yet’’ could come quickly.

The conundrum with dumping veterans, Malthouse said, is that you need replacements. And he’s not sure if the best of Collingwood’s VFL squad is better than the out-of-form stars in the seniors.

In 2010, he had Alan Toovey, Luke Ball and Darren Jolly to replace Lockyer, O’Bree and Fraser. The other one was Jarryd Blair for Paul Medhurst, and Leon Davis was dropped after the drawn grand final for Tyson Goldsack in the replay.

“You make those decisions for the benefit of your supporters and your club,’’ Malthouse said.

“Look, it’s OK to make moves, but are you going to be better by making those moves?

“So if you think you’ve got someone better at round 4 (sic), you could make that decision. This is the test of the coach, to say, ‘I think these two young kids are better, but do we take them to Brisbane? Or maybe we wait for the next week when we are at home?.’’

It’s not always about demotion either, Malthouse said.

Positional change might be in McRae’s thinking. Does Sidebottom or Pendlebury move to half-forward, for instance? Or Nick Daicos to a back flank? Or Beau McCreery into the middle to add a “savage tackler’’ to the mix.

But at the same time, is 14-gamer Finlay Macrae ready to play serious midfield minutes against Lions stars Lachie Neale, Hugh McCluggage and Josh Dunkley?

Scott Pendlebury in action against the Swans in round 1. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

Mick Malthouse made the difficult call to drop Shane O’Bree, right, in 2010.

McRae has shown he is prepared to make calls. He said he didn’t play Mitchell against Sydney in round 1 because of a “grumbling’’ knee, but was it because the Pies needed more speed in the middle to combat the lickety-split Swans?

“Selection is not a process of, ‘he’s out of form so I will bring in him’. No, he might be out of form, but who will we bring in, and why are we bringing him in?’’ Malthouse said.

“There’s a multitude of questions you ask yourself.’’

It’s about being pragmatic at selection and not loyal, he said.

“The art of winning premierships is to win games to get into the eight and into the top four, and you can’t be compromised by your loyalty,’’ Malthouse argued.

“If you’re going to be a loyal person, and many coaches go down the gurgler by being too loyal (because) ultimately the club won’t be too loyal to you if you’re not winning games of football.’’

He said he “wouldn’t be dropping the three older players’’, despite the Pies “playing for keeps now’’.

“You could say Mihocek hasn’t fired; Cox hasn’t fired; Darcy Moore has been playing attacking football without the team winning the football and he hasn’t worked it out yet, Isaac Quaynor is a beautiful player and hasn’t set he world on fire,’’ he said.

“So, you’ve got be careful about picking on the older blokes.”