Richmond Offered Mick Malthouse the Job. Why Did Its “Yes” Last Only Days?
Richmond’s famous coaching instability is usually remembered through the men who were hired, sacked and replaced. Mick Malthouse’s 1983 story starts one step earlier.
Malthouse later recalled that Richmond told him he had the senior job. He accepted and kept it quiet as instructed. Within days, the offer was gone. Then came a second offer — the reserves job — and that disappeared as well.
It is tempting to let hindsight write the story. Malthouse later coached 718 VFL/AFL games and won three premierships. But Richmond could not know that future in 1983, and the club ultimately chose a genuinely credentialed alternative.
The harder puzzle is what happened before anyone coached a game: what does it say about a football club when it reaches a decision strongly enough to make the offer, receives the acceptance, and then cannot hold the decision?
Not a member yet?
Join here for less than a cup of coffee a month and unlock the full RTSSG experience: https://www.rtssg.com/plans-pricing
RTSSG.com: Richmond News By Richmond People For Richmond People!
Comments