Eddie McGuire has taken umbrage at comments made by Mick Malthouse regarding Collingwood’s succession plan over a decade ago.
In 2009, the Magpies installed Nathan Buckley to take over from Malthouse with the plan transitioning prior to the 2012 season when the club champion took the reins.
Hawthorn announced something similar earlier this week with Sam Mitchell at the end of 2022 to step into the seat Alastair Clarkson has occupied since 2005.
Malthouse experienced the succession plan first-hand and suggests Hawks president Jeff Kennett may have “panicked”, just as he believes McGuire did in the past.
“The way I see it is two presidents panicked in not wanting to lose former champions,” Malthouse said on Nine News.
“I meet with a fair percentage of my player group regularly and that’s all they talk about, but it’s gone and you’ve got to let go of it.”
In response, McGuire hit back at Malthouse’s claims.
“It had nothing to do with Nathan Buckley,” the recently departed Magpies president said, also on Nine News.
“The whole succession plan at Collingwood was based on Mick Malthouse. The only discussions that were held were between me personally and Peter Sidwell, Mick's manager. Peter Sidwell then spoke to Mick and came back and said, ‘This is something we should do’.
“Don’t forget Mick was given a five-year contract - two as a coach and three more to stay on. We weren’t looking to push Mick out, we were looking to maximise Mick as his longevity and the pressures around him and all the other things that were going on were there.
“The decision was made between Mick, his manager, me and then Gary Pert and the board and that’s where it was. After that we decided who should come in and Nathan Buckley got the job.
“But it was a five-year deal which Mick decided to leave after two.
“For the record, after the announcement, Collingwood played in a Preliminary Final, won the flag, played in a Grand Final, went to a Preliminary Final with Nathan Buckley, then an Elimination Final, then went into a rebuild, played in a Grand Final, a Preliminary Final. That’s eight of 12 finals series and three Grand Finals and a premiership.
“In these situations here’s what happens - presidents love their clubs, they make decisions for the good of the club. Sometimes coaches go just as they sack players and drop them every week.”
Malthouse believes Clarkson would no doubt be feeling pressure following the decision by the Hawks.
“(He would) be feeling the pinch, make no mistake about it, we’re all human,” he added.
“Outside of the players, the forgotten ones are the families. His family would be really stressed for him.
“You’ve got to take a backward step. The new bloke comes in, he takes that step and he becomes a part of that selection process more than you do, so you tend to get bypassed and that's very, very difficult.”
Kane Cornes believes that Hawthorn has taken one of the biggest gambles in club history by implementing this succession plan.