Carlton coach Michael Malthouse will etch his way further into the record books on Friday night, but the three-time premiership coach says he’s still finding it “hard to grasp”.
When Malthouse takes his place in the coaching box, in charge for the 715th time, he will break Jock McHale’s long-standing record for the most games coached in the VFL/AFL history.
The record-breaking match has “crept up” on the 61-year-old, who says it wasn’t until a particular call from the AFL when he realised the enormity of the achievement.
“It wasn’t until Simon Lethlean from the AFL rang and said we want to give you the honour of choosing the side (to play against), and I thought this is a little bit bigger than what I was anticipating,” Malthouse told 3AW’s Sports Today.
The Malthouse legacy has spanned 31 years across four clubs – Footscray (135), West Coast (243), Collingwood (286) and Carlton (50).
‘Mick’ says he’s been “blessed” to work with great people and credits much of what he’s learnt to them.
Reflecting on milestones achieved along the journey, Malthouse recalled approaching the 500-game milestone and being in awe of the company he was about to join.
“I look back at the 500 club .. there was Jeans, Hafey, Barassi and Parkin and Sheeds of course, and to even be breathing the same air as those blokes .. you just don’t even think about it,” he said.
While there are plenty of highs in football from winning premierships to developing players, Malthouse says there are also plenty of lows. He says the hardest part of coaching is breaking the hearts of young men who aren’t going to make it at AFL level.
“You’re the dream maker when the kids get picked at 18 years of age, you bring them in and their dreams are fulfilled, but at the end of the year you know you’re going to break the hearts of some kids – that is the most gut wrenching period of my coaching,” he said.
