After putting the acid on the playing group in the lead up to the game, the Magpie coach was pleased with the response of his players, while also acknowledging the effort of St Kilda.
He singled out Dale Thomas and Harry O’Brien while giving credit to key forwards Anthony Rocca and Travis Cloke, despite the duo kicking one goal and taking six marks between them.
“I think their contributions forced enough errors and contests for other players to actually kick goals,” he said.
Thomas had 21 possessions playing predominantly as a midfield run-with player on Saint star Nick Dal Santo.
“There was a challenge thrown out to him and I thought he took it and grabbed it and went with it,” he said.
“It’s a new role and he’ll take some time to adjust to it, and I’m not 100 per cent sure whether we’ll stick with it, in fact we’ll probably change it around again.
“It just gives him a break from being the hunter.”
While there were plenty of positives for the Magpies, Malthouse conceded his the Magpies need to focus on getting their interchanges right heading into next week after admitting the club failed badly in its first attempt to adapt to the new interchange procedure.
Despite beating the Saints in a gritty four-quarter effort to extend its record to 4-4, Malthouse said the club had to address its interchange procedure or risk costing the side goals.
“If we don’t we’re going to get cheap goals kicked against us,” he said.
“I’m particularly pleased you get a week to get it right.
“I reckon both clubs didn’t get it right.”
Under the new rules enforced by the AFL, players are required to stand in a holding pen marked by a yellow box drawn on the ground in front of each club’s bench.
Players cannot go over the line until the player coming off the ground has crossed the boundary line.
At times the Magpies had five players on the bench as confusion reigned amid multiple interchanges and the sizeable number of rotations.
Malthouse said common sense was the key to getting it right.
“It’s a common sense rule but you take away common sense when you talk about emotion and desperation. Players are going to naturally want to break through that little line and go over it.”
Despite failing to adapt to the new interchange system the Magpie found a way to win a contest in which it kept the Saints at bay in a tight second half.
