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CTV > Mick Malthouse's Thursday press conferenceFOLLOWING successive losses, Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse has challenged his players to perform on the big stage that is the Anzac Day blockbuster against Essendon.
The Magpies’ inability to put four quarters of football together so far this season has been a major concern for Malthouse who, following last week’s loss, lamented the absence of the mental edge that made his team one of the best tackling sides in the competition last year.
"I will certainly be judging players on their capacity to play before a big crowd on the [big] occasion," Malthouse said on Thursday.
"I’ve always rated finals as a pre-cursor to whether you keep players on your list or not; whether they can hold [under the pressure] and I don’t see a great deal of difference, quite frankly, in this game.
"Players are expected to hold up on this day. The occasion will determine my assessment of the group and I can’t answer for Essendon, but I daresay it would be pretty similar."
Full forward Anthony Rocca has suffered from indifferent form in the past fortnight, but will take the field despite missing the Pies' final training session.
"The side we pick is the side we expect to run down the race," Malthouse said.
"Anthony is obviously a little bit sore, otherwise he'd be out there [training]. But we're not about to declare every injury. There's a lot of players out there carrying bits and pieces and they will continue to do so right throughout the year."
Skipper Scott Burns, who continues to suffer from calf soreness, was ruled out of the clash on Wednesday and Malthouse confirmed it had been his call to make.
"In Scott's mind, he's not right so you've got to go by what the player thinks," he said.
"He's not going to sacrifice himself for short-term gain to go out there and play when he may not be able to play at his best for the club, not only for the game's sake, but also for the big occasion."
Malthouse has taken the opportunity during the week to educate his young players on the importance of the day and vowed his team’s effort would befit an occasion he felt continued to recognise the significance of the sacrifices made by the country’s servicemen and women.
"I think it’s been well-documented what it means to me, it’s more important what it means to everyone going," he said.
"We’re very fortunate, both Collingwood and Essendon are, both very, very fortunate that the AFL has seen fit to acknowledge both clubs, their contribution to Anzac Day and the continuing of the clubs meeting on that day.
"Are 90,000 people there to watch the game or the occasion? It’s the occasion. It’s a wonderful occasion. It’s an acknowledgement of all the things we hold dear to us.
"It’s going to have its heroics, it’s going to have the courage that you’d expect from players playing on a day like this, it’s going to have its moments and it’s going to be – from Collingwood’s point of view – fought with a vigour that’s going to hopefully represent what the Anzac spirit is about."
