Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse has labeled Saturday’s win over Carlton as the best this year after the 19-point victory against a top-four side at the MCG.
Malthouse was complementary of the playing group in the wake of the off-field incidents occurring just 24 hours before the round 17 match.
“It was probably our best win,” Malthouse told club members in his weekly CTV address.
“Not so much (on) the scoreboard, the scoreboard is insignificant in many respects. It’s more what you gain from it.
“The club had to confront this issue with Heath and Nick at the end of the week. It was going to have a bearing. No matter how strong willed our players are, it was going to have an effect on them.
“I thought our playing group led by our leadership group were outstanding
“I think our players went to another area that they have never had (to go to) before. They had to search deep and found something special and it was a terrific result.”
As Collingwood prepares to take on Gold Coast this weekend*, the senior coach believes playing on a new surface against an opponent for the first time in the club’s history won’t play a major role in the end result.
“We have seen the Gold Coast from a distance for 16-17 weeks and they are coached by a very dear friend of mine in Guy McKenna.
“I know the way he coaches. He has coached them to understand the game. He will throw some curly ones at us.
“He has kept a very strong-bodied midfield together dominating the stoppages in the ruck led by Ablett.
“The ground size is very similar to the MCG. It’s one metre longer and three or four metres narrower. We are technically saying the ground won’t be an issue.
“I think we played there in a practice match for Collingwood a few years ago but I have coached West Coast and Footscray up there.
“It’s a ground which will have a different texture and we are going to have to work through that. That’s why we will train there before we play.”
Collingwood will depart from Melbourne on Friday morning ahead of its contest against the Gold Coast Suns on Saturday night.
* Malthouse also answered several questions submitted via Twitter using the hashtag #askmick.
