CARLTON coach Mick Malthouse has dismissed suggestions he is too old to coach at AFL level, insisting he is a better coach now than when he finished at Collingwood in 2011.
In the first installment of Malthouse: No Limits, a three-part documentary produced by AFL Media, the Blues mentor also revealed he draws inspiration on the age issue from Manchester United's legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
"I think we have this obsession with youth (and) young coaches," Malthouse said. "I'll encourage the younger coach to get appointed … but do'’t disregard experience. Otherwise Ferguson wouldn’t be a coach at 71. Seventy-one. And he'll win the title again this year.
"I've had 40-odd years experience in this game and each year has served me well. So from 2011 to today, I believe I'm a year more experienced and better than I was in 2011."
It's a view shared by Blues assistant coach Rob Wiley, a Richmond premiership teammate and long-time friend of Malthouse's, who believes Malthouse has "many years left in him" as a coach because he has "a youthful mind".
In Malthouse: No Limits, Malthouse also reveals that when he arrived at Carlton he felt the playing list lacked confidence, structure and leadership; and says his new game plan is dramatically different from from what the Blues have experienced in seasons past.
