Thursday, July 3, 2014: An impromptu and wonderful assessment...

Oh Mick, don't ever change. We here at The Smother love Mick Malthouse that much that we have, on multiple occasions, seriously countenanced the possibility of changing this blog to The Malthouse Daily and featuring only excerpts from his press conferences.

Speaking of which, yesterday was a doozy. After lining up free-agency for it's apparent ability to create a two-tiered EPL style league, he then launched into an impromptu - and rather wonderful - assessment of Carlton's playing stocks: "We've got some players that play with a lot of heart, but perhaps the talent level is not quite there"; on Jarrad Waite - "Jarrad needs to come to grips with what we're trying to do here at Carlton"; on Jeff Garlett - "(He) just isn't kicking enough goals. If you kick enough goals and don't defend, you can probably get away with it, but if you don't do either, you don't play".

As usual, the coaching at Carlton was apparently beyond reproach.


In the news...
Rookie Jack Redpath will play his first game for the Bulldogs this week end, with Brendan McCartney hoping for some "intensity and some contested marking" from the 23 year old. While Veteran Dylan Morris has expected to re-sign at Footscray.

Brisbane assistant coach Murray Davis has implemented new training measures to ensure players can kick out from fullback without stepping beyond the goal square as a response to first-gamer Daniel McStay's mistake on the weekend - "We were practicing kicking-in and I was certainly watching Dan closely" said Davis.

Damien Hardwick has criticised the MRP after his defender Steven Morris was given a week for two separate high hits: "The Tribunal is there for a reason and I don't think that's one of them" grumbled Hardwick.