Mick Malthouse vows to stop bullying media

Mick Malthouse

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Fronting the media at Visy Park on Thursday, Malthouse tried to stamp out a number of spot fires that have flared over his strained relationship with reporters.

"I'm probably opening up my soul a bit here but I find it very, very difficult to talk publicly, and I've been doing it for 30 years," Malthouse told a media conference on Thursday.

AFL clubs invest heavily in marketing their brands, and a coach's work in the media is a key component for a team's interaction with fans.

By that measure, Malthouse is failing at part of his job.

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Malthouse said he was willing to try to change if his reputation as an uncooperative grump reflected negatively on the Blues.

"If people view that, then I've got to look at it because if it's not good then it's not good for Carlton," Malthouse said.

"Some coaches are comfortable, I'm not.

"My media conferences haven't been picture perfect.

"But it's not by design to hurt anyone, it's to finish it as quick as I can."

Mark Maclure, the outspoken former Blues centre-half forward, suggested on AFL 360 that Malthouse should stop coaching next year because he was too unstable and distracted on game day.

Malthouse also had run-ins with Channel 7 commentators Cameron Ling and Samantha Lane at the weekend and his bully tactics at press conferences have drawn increasing rebuke this year.

But it is Maclure's attack which should concern Malthouse most, because it came from a revered Carlton figure.

"I think he should bring someone in to do the match-day coaching if he seriously wants to stay on and get the extra two games or whatever [to break the VFL-AFL coaching record]," Maclure said on Wednesday.

He also said he was "friendless" and prone to bullying the media.

Given Malthouse is 60, Maclure's idea makes sense.

It has similarities to Collingwood's coaching succession plan that saw Nathan Buckley take over from Malthouse as the Magpies coach.

Malthouse said he hadn't heard the comments but denied emotion affected his ability to coach.

"I've been compromised for 30 years if that's the case," he said.

"I think you should go back through a bit of footage. I've coached that way for 30 years.

"I pride myself on having a cool head with directives to my player group under all circumstances."

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