Collingwood president Eddie McGuire slams Port Adelaide chairman David Koch for Mick Malthouse criticism
Just when you thought the China game war of words was over, Eddie McGuire has weighed in. He believes Port Adelaide chairman David Koch has overstepped the mark. And David Koch has defended his attack, offering a slight concession.
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Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has slammed Port Adelaide chairman David Koch for going “200 steps too far” in his criticism of coaching great Mick Malthouse.
Koch whacked the champion coach’s views on playing football in China on Saturday, declaring that “if it were up to him, (Malthouse) would bring back the White Australia policy of the 50s”.
It comes as Koch defended his attack on Monday morning but conceded he “probably took a step too far on the White Australia’’ comments.
The outspoken chairman was met with fierce criticism from Collingwood premiership captain Tony Shaw on Sunday, labelling his remarks a “gutless slur”.
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McGuire said that while Koch was within his rights to defend the China game, linking him to an inherently racist policy was overstepping the mark.
“I think to be slated back to White Australia was a step not too far, but about 200 steps too far from David and I hope that Kochie sort of looks back on that and says you know what, I might’ve just acted a little bit irrationally on that one and I retract,” McGuire said on Triple M.
“I hope that he does that in the next couple of days because that was way over the odds.”
“David’s absolutely entitled to argue for the benefits that come from that.”
“Yes, China is a major power that we have to deal with and that’s what our governments are trying to deal with, he’s looking at that, Mick’s looking at it from a football point of view.
“I think if everyone just had their time again, you’d be able to put your point of view on it and then count it, but we didn’t need to get so personal on that one.
“When you’re actually nationally aligned with promulgating the worst racist regime, I mean that’s apartheid what Australia was, that’s a big, big call and one that’s too far.”
Koch took aim at Malthouse, saying he takes “potshots from the sidelines” and has never approached him to grasp the China concept.
“I wanted to make a point,’’ he told FIVEaa.
“Yes, he (Malthouse) got under my skin because he just hasn’t sat down with us and said ‘what are you doing?’
“Rather than being informed and trying to understand he just takes potshots from the sidelines.’’
“Mick and Tony have always criticised us for going to China, right from the very start they haven’t really got what the whole thing was about.”
McGuire took issue with Malthouse being berated for having a different viewpoint.
He claimed Malthouse didn’t have a “racist bone in his body”, referencing the work he has done for indigenous football.
“One of the things I deplore is as soon as anyone’s got a different point of view is to be called racist, misogynistic, boys’ club, anything like that.”
“All the sort of stuff that goes on now, if you’ve got a different point of view or even if you’ve got a slightly different point of view the pile on just comes straight up.
“I can tell you straight up that Mick Malthouse, there’s not a racist bone in Mick Malthouse’s body and he’s a broad-thinking man.
“He has done so much to look after indigenous Australians and indigenous footballers and players from all walks of life.
“He’s very generous man when it comes to people who come from lower socio-economic backgrounds from all sorts of areas who come into the club whether they could read or write or they were geniuses, all those types of things.
Malthouse told the Herald Sun this week that the AFL must stop playing games in China, saying to “sell our soul” should be “the last thing” the league should be doing.
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KOCHIE HITS BACK AT MALTHOUSE
David Koch launched an extraordinary attack on the former West Coast, Collingwood and Carlton coach on Saturday, declaring he has “zero expertise” who “would bring back the White Australia policy”.
“When it comes to China, Mick Malthouse has zero expertise and so zero relevance in any of this,” Koch said on Fox Footy Live.
“If Mick Malthouse made a comment on footy, maybe I’d give it a passing glance of it. But when it comes to China, absolutely zero relevance whatsoever.
“China is aimed at making sure this club has the financial resources to have a fully funded football program.
“The business of running an AFL club is based around having a whole bunch of different income streams not tied to the club, in terms of performance. That’s how you build financial stability.”
He said China “helps” the Power “build a business model that means our football department wants for nothing”.
“They’re our biggest trading partner, they’re our biggest customer – 37 per cent of Australia’s exports go to China,” Koch said.
“Using football as a way to build a bridge with China through community and through trade has become really important.
“Mick Malthouse doesn’t know what he’s talking about. With comments like that, if it was up to Mick Malthouse he’d bring back a White Australia policy in the 50s.
“In this regard, he’s a bit of a dinosaur.”
A “very disappointed” Malthouse said shortly after Koch’s blast that playing games in China was purely “monetary” and “to deny it is ridiculous”.
“I am very disappointed ... those comments are very, very offline for a start,” he said on ABC Perth.
“Money speaks, and we know it does, and that’s what I’m saying about the AFL at the moment.
“They’ve got a wonderful opportunity – particularly the commission – to settle in on where you want (the game) without the massive money coming into it, what does football look like?
“It’s an Australian game – it’ll last forever. Make no mistake. It may not have 18 sides, it may not have the amount of money going into it, but it’ll remain because we love our game.
“We’ve got to get our game in order. I don’t think taking the game out of Australia, particularly to a communist place that gives us absolutely no respect … Kochie can say whatever he likes. But they are there for one reason only, and to deny it is ridiculous.”
Malthouse coached the Blues when they played against St Kilda in New Zealand, but he said to compare that to China was like apples and oranges.
“You don’t get the same response in a country like China,” he said.
“If you only get the same money that you do going down to Football Park in Adelaide, why do you take your side over there and expose themselves?
“I have a family interest in the (St Kilda) side that played over there against Port (in 2019). Hardly a person got away from China not being ill.
“It’s not only the travelling … it is a foreign place that has no interest in us. Talk to the communist government, you get only answers that revolve around them, we’re a little bit more than ‘the chewing gum stuck on the bottom of their shoe’. That’s how we were quoted as (by them).”
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