We're Better Than 3-3: Malthouse
The Age
Saturday May 3, 2008
COLLINGWOOD is a better side than its ladder position suggests and will not allow Hawthorn to dictate terms when they meet at the MCG today, says coach Mick Malthouse.
After narrow defeats to Brisbane Lions and North Melbourne, the Magpies head into today's clash with three wins from six games, while the Hawks remain undefeated after last week's win over Richmond.The Magpies have recalled Anthony Rocca - a late withdrawal from the 73-point win against Essendon on Anzac Day- and skipper Scott Burns returns from a calf injury for his 250th game.Malthouse had no qualms about bringing the out-of-form Rocca back for today's match, saying "every week is a different week" and the veteran could play a vital role in attack."I don't know if he's our leading goalkicker, but he's our leading key forward," he said."It's like bringing Scott Burns in - do we (not) bring Scott Burns in because we won last week? I don't go for that."I look at our side and say, 'this is the side we're playing this week, which is Hawthorn, what's our best 22 players to put on the ground?'"If they fit into that category and we won the previous week, it's incidental. We pick the side we believe is going to win this week, not last week."Hawthorn goes into the match with an unchanged side from last week.Malthouse said the Hawks were "like any good side going around" and were reaping the rewards of playing structured, disciplined football."I don't think it's only Hawthorn. Adelaide are very structured (and) play to their coach's demands. Geelong, going from ninth to a premiership, zeroed in on what they wanted to do and stayed rigid to it. Any good side, really, the hallmark of them is being disciplined."He said the rolling zone the Hawks use had not "mysteriously appeared this year", but the players had clearly been carrying out "to the letter" the instructions of coach Alastair Clarkson.While rejecting any suggestion the game might be played on Hawthorn's terms, Malthouse said it did loom as a test of whether his side was "good enough under those sort of circumstances" to win."I'm not going to concede on a Friday before a Saturday match that it's going to be played on their terms."I think we're better than 3-3, we lost two games by a kick or thereabouts and I reckon we had both sides covered...a couple of things just didn't go according to script."Carlton beat us fair and square, the way I see it, we just weren't on the money that day."The players are really looking forward to (today) because they want to see where they're at."No disrespect to Essendon (but) we're playing a side that hasn't been beaten this year and, for all intents and purposes, have played really good football to win the six games."He said young Hawthorn star forward Lance "Buddy" Franklin was "one out of the box" who was living up to the hype surrounding him."He's a sensational player. One that comes along every now and again."
© 2008 The Age
