Mick admits Pies are better

Nathan Buckley takes bragging rights over old mentor Mick Malthouse as Collingwood defeats old enemy Carlton in a MCG classic.

Magpie Scott Pendlebury clears by hand during the third quarter against Carlton at the MCG. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse before the start of yesterday's blockbuster at the MCG. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

MICK Malthouse says Collingwood may be the best side in the competition, with the Carlton coach last night moving to ease the pressure on his winless Blues.

Malthouse was keen to give a "little lesson in history" on the recent form line of both clubs after Carlton was run down by the rampant Magpies in the last quarter at the MCG.

The Blues lead by 18 points nine minutes into the third quarter and by 10 points at the last change.

But they were outworked and out-thought by Collingwood in the last half-hour, conceding seven goals to three.

"What went wrong? We played probably one of the best sides in the competition.

"They might even be No.1,'' Malthouse said.

"They were better when it counted most.

"They were smarter with the footy and they just worked a bit harder.''

Collingwood's runners surged into space in an irresistible last quarter assault, racking up 27 uncontested marks to 11.

Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan and Steele Sidebottom all finished strongly.

"They're a very good football side," he said.

"I think sometimes we just need a little lesson in history to say, 'Well, they were on top of the ladder for a long time last year, they finished third or fourth, we finished ninth or 10th or whatever and there's a gap and we've got to close that gap','' Malthouse said.

"We've got to be better and we'll approach every week to get better and smarter and do something about it.

"There's no joy in getting beaten by 17 points, but I know we can match it for periods of time with one the best sides and that's the most encouraging thing about this.

"We will work to lengthen that time from 10 minutes to 11, from 15 to 20.

"In the last two weeks we just haven't been consistent, we haven't been smart enough with the footy at times and we haven't probably been running hard enough."

Chris Yarran shows Ben Johnson a clean pair of heels as he heads towards the goals during the 2nd qtr of the Collingwood vs Carlton match at the MCG. April 7, 2013. Picture: Klein Michael Source: Herald Sun

Carlton captain Mark Murphy said: "Their good players got on top ... it's pretty disappointing.

"We played in parts and against good sides you've got to play for the full four quarters to get the win."

Asked if he was happy the match and the momentous build-up was over, Malthouse shrugged his shoulders.

"That's life. I've been in big games before, it's the way it is," he said.

The Blues face Geelong, West Coast (away) and Adelaide in the next three weeks in a daunting opening to the season, but Malthouse strongly believes his side are getting there.

"I'll walk out of here disapppionted and tomorrow ... I'll be as positive as I know I can be with this group of players," he said.

"They are nearing it and we're getting better and we'll get better each week and at some stage that result will click over to a victory and it will give us the confidence to go forward."

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Goal umpire out for season

Goal umpire Courtenay Lai was stretchered off the field after Bulldogs hardnut Liam Picken accidently fell across his leg

Goal umpire Courtney Lai lies on the ground after injuring his knee at Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Source: HWT Image Library

GOAL umpire Courtney Lai will have surgery on Thursday to repair damage to his knee suffered in a sickening clash with Bulldog Liam Picken on the weekend.

Lai tore both his anterior cruciate ligament and medial ligament on Saturday when Picken, who tried in vain to smother a goalsquare shot by Fremantle's Michael Walters, fell across his left leg.

Lai, a doctor by trade, is expected to need six to nine months worth of rehabilitation on the knee.

The AFL confirmed today that Lai would not officiate again in 2013, but would return for the 2014 season.

Lai has umpired 24 games since making his debut in 2011.

Watch the collision in the video player above

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LIVE: Cats v Roos

Matthew Stokes will start as the substitute for Geelong today. Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper Source: PerthNow

Both teams go into the match unchanged with North Melbourne opting for rebounding defender Ben Jacobs as its substitute.

The Cats on the other hand have taken a different approach with small forward Matthew Stokes being given the substitute duties for the match under the roof at Etihad Stadium.

It will be the second time these two sides have met since taking part in ground breaking pre-season match day simulation training together at Simonds Stadium.

Live HQ: SuperCoach scores, stats

Geelong defeated North Melbourne in a tight contest during the third round of the NAB Cup with veteran Cat Paul Chapman the difference, kicking three goals in the final quarter.

Kangaroos assistant coach Brett Allison said both teams kept their "cards close to their chests" during the pre-season work outs.

"Pre-season sessions with Geelong worked really well. (They were) good for both sides," Allison told Geelong's K Rock radio station this morning.

Allison said the Kangaroos would be looking to improve their attack on the contest after last week's disappointing loss to Collingwood.

"Tackling and ball use (are the) most important areas of improvement against the Cats."

Meanwhile, Allison said hyped Kangaroo Majak Daw is being rated as a forward and must go past marking targets Lachie Hansen, Robbie Tarrant and Drew Petrie to earn a spot in the best 22.

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Dees lacking desire to compete

Neil Craig and Mark Neeld at Melbourne training. Picture: Tim Carrafa Source: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE assistant Neil Craig has thrown his support behind Demons coach Neil Craig, ruling out a return to senior coaching ranks.

Craig, Adelaide's longest serving coach, quit in 2011 after seven years at the club following the Crows 103-point loss to St Kilda.

"I'll be doing everything absolutely possible to support Mark Neeld," Craig, the Demons director of sports performance, told SEN radio.

"My days (as senior coach) are done.

"I think I was pretty clear at Adelaide about that. I'm enjoying my team at Melbourne... those days are done."

Craig said the Demons had what it takes to bounce back after last night's embarrassing 148-point hammering by Essendon at the MCG.

"We need to get this combative effort, this desire to compete, both offensively and defensively back... the intensity we see in our preparation we haven't seen in our games.

"We saw glimpses of it in the NAB Cup.

"The bottom line is we can't move with game plan structures unless there's competitive element in your game and nothing else happens until that's in place."

Craig stood by the Demons recruiting of tried veterans David Rodan, Shannon Byrnes and Cameron Pedersen.
Byrnes collected 11 disposals at 55 per cent efficiency last night.

Rodan was initially dropped, along with Pedersen, but came in as a late inclusion for Jordie McKenzie (calf) who
broke down in the warm up.

The former Port Adelaide and Richmond goalsneak picked up six disposals as the substitute.

"Those guys had an opportunity during the NAB Cup to push their case," he said.

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Premiership window shut: Watters

St Kilda coach Scott Watters is looking to the future. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

ST Kilda coach Scott Watters admits his club's premiership window is shut and says rebuilding started over a year ago.

A brutally honest Watters today told Saints supporters there is a long-term view at St Kilda that outweighs the club's winless start to the season.

"Our supporters aren't fools - they understand our group," Watters said on SEN radio.

"And they deserve transparency from their coach and their club, and I'm a pretty upfront person.

"We are making change - we've made change over 12 months - and we will continue to evolve our group.

"We now have seven people working in development and we know our recruiting over the next two to three years will be critical to move the club forward."

The Saints made eight list changes at the end of last season and 12 the previous year.

Watters said he was under no illusions about where his list was at.

"If people think all of a sudden we came to the realisation last night that we need to turn our list over, well that started 12 months ago," he said.

"It's not a change in direction and that's the pathway we will continue to go down."

The St Kilda coach said the focus would be on developing the club's younger players.

"When you look back at the recruiting between 2008 and 2010, there was not enough quality that came through from that era," he said.

"That's why we pushed a lot of players in last year - we were exposing them as much as we can.

"We're giving the likes of Jack Steven and David Armitage more midfield opportunity.

"We now need to find the next four or five players we can talk about in the same light."

Watters called upon his senior brigade to help bring alone the next generation at St Kilda.

"I don't want to take away the capacity for our club to compete every week," he said.

"But at the same time, our players like Hayes, Riewoldt and Dal Santo need to bring on the next group."

Defender Sean Dempster has a wrist fracture, but it is not yet determined how long he will be out for.

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LIVE: Swans v Suns

Can Gold Coast skipper Gary Ablett inspire the Suns to another victory? Picture: Darren England. Source: News Limited

2.22pm: Swans 13 - Suns 14

GOLD Coast has its nose in front of reigning premiers Sydney in a scrappy affair at the SCG.

The Suns kicked back-to-back goals to set up the lead before Swans bolter Lewis Jetta slotted his first to cut the margin to one point late in the term.

Kieren Jack and Ryan O'Keefe are the pick of the Swans while Jarrod Harbrow leads the Suns with nine disposals.

Suns defender Rory Thompson spent some time off the ground with checking out his right shoulder.

2.05pm: Swans 12 - Suns 13

DEFENDER Jack Hutchins found himself in uncharted territory up forward but made the most of his opportunity slotting the Suns first goal.

Hutchins found space about 40m out directly in front and converted to give the Suns a slight break.

The visitors pushed further ahead when Charlie Dixon booted his first goal. Jarrod Harbow has picked up five disposals roaming across half back while Gary Ablett, head-to-head with Ryan O'Keefe, has three possessions.

But the Swans responded through Lewis Jetta stepping to kick his first goal and cut the margin to one point.

1.57pm: Swans 6 - Suns 1

SYDNEY co-captain Jarad McVeigh broke the shackles kicking the first goal of the match after about seven minutes of play.

The Suns are hanging tough on difficult day for clean footy with Joel Wilkinson, David Swallow, Gary Ablett and Jarrod Harbrow keeping plenty of the ball.

Kieren Jack, fresh off his best on ground performance last week, has three early possessions.

PRE-GAME

The reigning premiers go into the match against Gold Coast unchanged with Craig Bird starting off as the substitute.

In a surprise move, the Suns have opted for mercurial utility Jared Brennan as their substitute.

Live HQ: SuperCoach scores, stats

Meanwhile, the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle go toe-to-toe from 2.10pm at Etihad Stadium.

The Bulldogs remain unchanged after their big win over Brisbane last week.

Hard-nosed midfielder Koby Stevens is the Dogs substitute while for the Dockers, Cam Sutcliffe has the vest duties.

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Bombers fresh after long break

Will Minson joins the boys to discuss their picks ahead of round 2.

Essendon coach James Hird has 44 fit players to choose from. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

ESSENDON coach James Hird says he turned up the heat on his players at training in the past two weeks to combat a lack of game time.

Tomorrow will mark 15 days since the Bombers defeated Adelaide in their Round 1 encounter and the club has played just once in 28 days having also had the final week of the NAB Cup series off to prepare for the season opener.

Hird said he wasn't sure if the lack of match practice would have a positive or negative impact on his players against Melbourne at the MCG tomorrow night.

''It's allowed us to train and get ourselves right,'' Hird said.

''We're certainly now glad the season has started proper and we can get in a routine of playing week after week.

''We've had one game in 29 games and this will be the second in that period. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I do know guys are fresh, they're excited, we've got a good team out there and they should play well tomorrow.''

Hird said the Bombers coaching staff had upped the players' training loads to compensate.

''We've just trained a lot harder than we would have for a normal week,'' he said.

''It'll be 15 days (tomorrow) since our last game. We've had two really big sessions in that 15-day period and a couple of other smaller ones.

''It's just been about quality of training, making sure that's kept up to a high standard, and along the way our reserves team has played week after week as well so we've been able to top up players who we want extra footy in as well.''

Players such as Travis Colyer, Elliott Kavanagh and David Hille were mentioned by Hird as having benefited from extra minutes in the VFL.

See all the AFL Round 2 teams here

David Zaharakis, however, didn't play at state league level despite having his pre-season interrupted by a quad injury.

After starting as the substitute in the win against the Crows Hird said he had been impressed by Zaharakis's development and said he was start on the ground against the Demons.

''David's good,'' Hird said.

''This will be his fourth game, he's coming along well and he'll play a full game tomorrow.''

That Zaharakis won't start as the sub will be the only change the Bombers will make to the successful Round 1 team.

That's welcome news for Hird, who had to endure a 2012 season marred by an extraordinary amount of soft-tissue injuries to his players.

''I can't remember coaching a team that's unchanged so that's pleasant,'' he said.

''At the moment, certainly we have some headaches around selection because we have got a full list of 44 players who are able to play and some very good players who are missing out.''
 

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Biggest footy grudge matches

Glenn Archer clashes with former teammate Wayne Carey. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

THINK Malthouse v Buckley is big? Check out our top 10 footy grudge matches.

The build-up all week has been huge, and it's no secret why. Master v apprentice. Coach v assistant. Coach grumpy at being forced to step down from one club who now works for that club's arch enemy coaching against the guy who replaced him.

Nathan Buckley will coach against his former coach and mentor Mick Malthouse for the first time on Sunday, and the pair haven't exactly been best mates since Eddie McGuire somehow got Mick to agree to hand the job to Bucks at the end of 2011.

Where does this weekend rank in the great footy rivalries? Check out our selection below and you be the judge.

WAYNE CAREY v NORTH MELBOURNE, 2003

A premiership captain playing for a new team against his flag teammates would be big at any time. Throw in the fact he had to quit the club after he was busted having an affair with his vice-captain's wife and you have a powder keg waiting to go off. Kangaroos hard man Glenn Archer won a tete-a-tete with his former skipper in the second quarter, feigning a punch that made Carey flinch. But the Duck had the last laugh, kicking four goals in a rare Crows away win.

ROSS LYON v ST KILDA, 2012

St Kilda was stunned when the man who almost took the club to an elusive second premiership walked out to join the Dockers at the end of 2011, defending himself against claims of treason by declaring he had never used the word "loyalty" to his St Kilda charges. Saints fans got the chance to let Lyon know how they felt when Freo played the Saints at Etihad Stadium in Round 4 last season. The night didn't end well for them when the Dockers stormed home for a 13-point win. "It was an emotionally tough night in some ways. I take no joy beating the St Kilda football club other than getting the four (premiership) points,'' Lyon said. "I'd moved on. I think I said it was a sideshow.''

Ross Lyon walks past angry St Kilda fans. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

PETER MOORE v COLLINGWOOD, 1983

Moore says some Collingwood fans - including Eddie McGuire - still haven't forgiven him for taking an offer worth a reported $300,000 for five years to quit the Pies and join Melbourne in December 1982 - a deal that made him the highest-paid player in the VFL. By chance, his first game for the Demons was against Collingwood at the MCG in Round 1, 1983. The Magpies' banner read "No Moore trouble at Collingwood"; other fans were less subtle - a sign in the stands screamed "Moore filth". "As a player, I never really understood how passionate the fans were and how strongly they felt about the club and the players," he said later. "It was something I only fully understood later." Moore played below his best that day and the Magpies won, but he went on to win a second Brownlow in 1984.

KEVIN SHEEDY v NORTH MELBOURNE MARSHMALLOW WAR, 1998

Kevin Sheedy, then Bombers coach, responded to criticism from the Roos about Essendon's game plan by labelling North executives Greg Miller and Mark Dawson as marshmallows. Miller was the white one and Dawson the pink one, apparently. When the teams faced each other at what was then Colonial Stadium, the Kangaroos came from behind to win by 22 points and fans pelted Sheedy with marshmallows after the match.

TONY LIBERATORE v RICHMOND, 2001

Danny Frawley set the stage by saying after a bitter loss in 2001: "Richmond Football Club are a really proud club and it will be payback time at some stage." Spud was filthy at the Dogs and Tony Liberatore, who had forced Tigers skipper Matthew Knights from the field with blood streaming from his forehead. Frawley was fined $1000 for the comment and Libba was rubbed out for five weeks after Richmond players broke the players' "code of silence" at the tribunal to dob him in. When the teams met again there was some pushing and shoving before the bounce before Richmond exacted revenge by snatching a close win after Nathan Brown - soon to join the Tigers - was denied a free kick for a high tackle in the dying minutes.

Tony Liberatore, Wayne Campbell and Matthew Knights do battle early in the first quarter. Picture: Kelly Barnes Source: Herald Sun

CAMPBELL BROWN v ESSENDON, 2010

There was already plenty of heat in this rivalry from the 1980s and the infamous "line in the sand" game in 2004. It sparked again in the final round of 2009 when Matthew Lloyd knocked out Brad Sewell. A fuming Alastair Clarkson had to be restrained on the boundary line and in a post-match interview Hawks hard man Campbell Brown described Lloyd as "one of the biggest snipers in the game" and said "his time is coming". The AFL chastised Channel 10 for using footage of those incidents to promote the next meeting of the two clubs, on a Friday night in May and Brown never got a chance to face Lloyd on the field - the Bombers full-forward had retired at the end of the season. The match itself was a fizzer, with the Bombers winning by 43 points.

CARLTON v BRUISE-FREE MELBOURNE, 2011

Brett Ratten claimed Mitch Robinson was talking about areas the Blues needed to improve on when he said after an easy win in May, 2011: "They didn't want a bruise game." That didn't fool anyone, least of all the Demons who said it was a sign of disrespect, coach Dean Bailey adding the club had "long memories", setting the stage for a rematch later in the season. The build-up for that game was slightly overshadowed by events of the previous weekend - when the Dees lost to Geelong by 186 points and Bailey got the chop. Stand-in coach Todd Viney did slightly better against the Blues - Carlton won by 76.

CHRIS JUDD v WEST COAST, 2008

The Eagles banner before the match read "we could rub it in, but we're better than that". The crowd then proceeded to boo the new Carlton captain every time he went near the ball in his first match in Perth after switching from the Eagles. Judd admitted he had to stop himself from grabbing water bottles from West Coast trainers but he managed OK, picking up 24 touches and helping his new club to a big win.

MARK YEATES v DERMOTT BRERETON, 1989

Yeates' hit on the Hawthorn hard man remains one of the most enduring memories of the brutal 1989 Grand Final, but the origins of the incident are less well known. Yeates revealed recently to the Geelong Advertiser that Brereton had "fixed me up nicely" when the two clubs met in Round 6 that season. "What goes around, comes around," he said. Brereton went into more detail: "Did he have the motivation? Yes. I grabbed him savagely in the nurries earlier in the year and (as) I was being chaired off and carted off by the trainers I told him he wouldn't need them anymore, and he had a very beautiful-looking wife." Shame Channel 7 didn't know about that for its pre-game promos.

Dermott Brereton after being crunched Mark Yeates at the opening bounce. Source: Herald Sun

GARY ABLETT v GEELONG, 2011

Cats fans were devastated when Ablett left to join the Suns and couldn't wait to play against him the next year. In the lead-up to the first Geelong v Gold game, Ablett wrote in his newspaper column: "Don't know if I will be targeted, but I predict they will play a few tricks." As it turned out, there were no fireworks - not even a misfiring cracker. The Cats didn't bother to tag Ablett and cruised to an easy win. After the game they joked with their former teammate. He even got a hug from James Kelly. Where was the hate? Disgusting, really.

Gary Ablett with former Geelong teammates after the game. Picture: Michael Dodge Source: Herald Sun

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Cold breakfast for Mick, Bucks

Nathan Buckley and Mick Malthouse shake hands at today's Peter McCallum Cancer Centre breakfast. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

MICK MALTHOUSE and Nathan Buckley were civil but did not talk to each other at a charity breakfast at the MCG this morning.

The Carlton and Collingwood coaches joined their respective captains, Marc Murphy and Nick Maxwell, on an on-stage panel in the MCG Dining Room as part of a fund-raiser for the Peter McCallum Cancer Centre.

They briefly shook hands before the panel discussion got under way, but did not have a conversation before or after the breakfast.

After the panel, Malthouse turned on his heel and walked off the stage as Buckley approached him. The two coaches left immediately -- Buckley via the lift, Malthouse down the escalator -- to attend their club's respective training sessions.

During the panel, hosted by former Collingwood full-forward Brian Taylor, Malthouse said the tension between himself and Collingwood was "more media and supporter-driven''.

Buckley 'has empathy' for Malthouse

Malthouse coached the Pies to the 2010 flag then lost the 2011 decider to Geelong, then sat out of coaching for a year before taking over the reigns at Carlton this season.

"I do know some of the players who will be playing for Collingwood,'' Malthouse said, "but it's amazing that 12 months out what's happened is that there's a massive change in personnel t the football club -- and that goes for every football club. So it's not the same football club that I was at.

"But if I focus on that, it's the very thing that I coach against, which is individuality. It's all about and must be about the team. So I've got to make sure that any emotions I have are all directed towards our team playing as well as they can.''

Buckley, who captained the Pies for eight years under Malthouse's coaching before working under him as an assistant coach, downplayed the significance of the Pies coming up against their former mentor.

"The rivalry exists longer than any of us sitting here have been around, and that's a great thing to be a part of,'' Buckley said.

Picture gallery: Pies make a splash at training

"We don't have a lot to go on, Carlton under Mick. But obviously having played under him and coached with him, I've got a fair understanding of the way he sees the game of footy.

"We all know what Mick Malthouse-coached sides look like. Carlton, as Mick has detailed, are a work in progress, and how much of the residual is still there and how much of the new stuff is still to come through, we'll see as the year progresses.

"My recent experience with Carlton last year, and this group of Carlton players, is that they knocked us over twice. So Brett Ratten had a fair understanding of us and had a way to get around our strengths, so we need to get get around Carlton's.''

Maxwell said the players were more interested in the match than personal rivalries.

"We've got expectations on ourselves, where we want to finish this year ...,'' Maxwell said.

"I know everyone wants to build it up and make it sound like it's all about Mick and it's all about Bucks and about our coaches, but it's about who gets the four points.''

Buckley refused to buy into speculation about players returning from injury, other than to say Dayne Beams was "zero'' chance of returning from a quad injury this Sunday.
 

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Scott grateful for Bucks' apology

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

NORTH Melbourne coach Brad Scott has revealed his Magpies counterpart Nathan Buckley phoned to apologise for his post-match criticism of the Lindsay Thomas bump.

Scott said today he considered the issue to be "dead" after Buckley called to apologise to both Thomas and himself during the week.

Buckley sparked a war of words after he called Thomas to account over his heavy clash with Magpie defender Ben Reid last Sunday, describing the bump as "pretty average".

Thomas was cleared by the match review panel for the heavy bump, which left Reid concussed.

But Scott today gave credit to Buckley for his apology.

"It's important that we all move on, but I think Nathan has made a retraction of his remarks and he forced me to defend one of my players which I will do 100 per cent of the time," Scott said.

"I think that when you cast aspersions over opposition players it is never a good thing, but when that criticism is wrong it makes it even worse.

"To Nathan's eternal credit, he has called me, he has apologised to me, which I didn't think he had to do, but he apologised to me and to our football club.

"But more importantly he rang Lindsay Thomas and apologised to him. I think that speaks volumes for the type of person he is."

Scott said he felt no confusion over the rule regarding accidental head clashes and said there would be no change in his philosophy in training.

"I'm in no doubt as to what the rule is and I think the match review panel adjudicated it as they said they would and the way they did last year," Scott said.

"So I am not confused. But there is no doubt that when you choose to bump, you take a risk."

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