AFL stand by their coach despite Malthouse's contentious comments

DESPITE CONFIRMATION from AFL spokesman Adrian Anderson that Mick Malthouse is set to lead Australia when the International Rules series returns to Ireland in October, the Collingwood manager remains under pressure after comments made towards St Kilda’s Stephen Milne resulted in an Aus$7,500 (€5,166) fine.

Malthouse was caught on camera calling Milne a “f**king rapist” during the round-three tie on April 9th.

One of the most successful managers in AFL history, his fine was reduced from $10,000 (€6,888) after pleading guilty to engaging an opposition player in an “aggressive/threatening” manner.

As Milne could yet be selected in the Australian squad, having featured in the 2002 series, Malthouse’s position could have become untenable.

“It was never a consideration,” said Anderson, the AFL operations manager, this week. “Mick will be doing it unless we hear otherwise from him. He would have been coach in Ireland had we toured there last year and he will do so this year.”

Milne and Collingwood assistant coach Paul Licuria also received $3,000 (€2,066) fines arising from the bout of on-field verbals during a break in last Friday’s game.

Other St Kilda players due for selection are Brendon Goddard, Sam Fisher and Leigh Montagna.

After initially denying his comments, Malthouse accepted the punishment and apologised to Milne. Writing in the Australian last Wednesday, he stated the decision to lie to the media post-match was to protect the unwritten sporting code of omertá where what happens on the field of play stays there.

“It was for the good of the game that I did not want to expand on the quarter-time incident in last weekend’s match,” wrote Malthouse. “The reason I denied talking to any St Kilda players when asked about the incident after the match was because I wanted to kill the issue stone dead.”

Comparing himself to Winston Churchill, he continued: “Anyone who has any doubt about the importance of the common good should study one of history’s greatest figures, Winston Churchill.

“There were times when his public pronouncements bore little resemblance to what was actually taking place, but he did it for the greater good.”

Malthouse’s Australia square up to Anthony Tohill’s Ireland at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on October 23rd and again at Croke Park on October 30th.

The series was cancelled in 2009, but Malthouse was the Australian manager in 2008 when Seán Boylan’s Ireland brought the Cormac McAnallen trophy home.

Tohill is joined on the 2010 management team by former Kerry forward Eoin “Bomber” Liston, Galway’s Seán Óg de Paor, Wicklow’s Kevin O’Brien and Mike McGurn, a Fermanagh native currently overseeing the conditioning of Armagh. McGurn has worked with the Irish rugby squad, Welsh side Ospreys and former super bantamweight world champion Bernard Dunne.

Meanwhile, tomorrow night’s Under-21 All-Ireland football semi-finals between Tipperary and Donegal at Parnell Park in Dublin will be televised live on TG4 from 7.15pm.

Deferred coverage of the other semi-final between Dublin and Roscommon from Kingspan Breffni Park in Cavan will follow.