Matthews told the 3AW Football season launch last Thursday night, “If Collingwood wins the premiership this year I expect that Mick Malthouse will coach the club next year.”
Malthouse, of course, will step aside at the end of the year and hand the coaching duties to Nathan Buckley while the two-time premiership coach assumes a position as director of football.
Reported by the Herald Sun on Monday, Pert told the paper that the Collingwood 1990 premiership coach was entitled to his opinion as a member of the media but it carries zero ounce of weight inside the Westpac Centre.
“His opinion is very important publicly but it is insignificant internally and that’s the most important thing,” Pert told the Herald Sun’s Mark Robinson.
“So, as far as I’m concerned, Leigh Matthews, who I highly respect and who is a friend, he’s doing his job as a journalist.
“But it is insignificant to Collingwood.
“The situation today is exactly the same as when we announced it and that is Mick is going to coach for two years and Bucks will coach for three years after that.
“We believe and we are committed to a leadership plan we thought would bring the greatest success over a five-year period and we’re really happy how that’s going so far.”
Malthouse stated earlier in the year that Buckley was ready to take on head coaching responsibilities while admitting his final year as head coach will be strange.
“"It's unique, I feel totally different this time because I know I will not coach Collingwood again at the end of the 2011 season. It's a really funny season, I'm not trying to hide that,
“He's (Buckley) ready, don't worry - he's attacking the coaching like he attacked the playing, it wasn't a fluke that he was a great player.
