In a series focusing on Richmond’s trade/draft history, we take a look at Mick Malthouse's move from St Kilda to the Tigers.
Michael Malthouse was seeking better opportunities at the game’s highest level, when he crossed from St Kilda to Richmond, just before the then June 30 clearance deadline, during the 1976 season.
With his tough, determined, no-nonsense style of play, Malthouse quickly established himself as a permanent member of the Tiger team.
Although he was initially used in a few different on-field roles at Richmond, it was as a back pocket, responsible for minding the opposition’s resting rovers, that Malthouse made his mark at Richmond.
He thrived on the discipline required to sacrifice personal gain for the betterment of the team.
His primary focus was negating the influence of dangerous small opponents - and it’s something he managed to do extremely well.
Dale Weightman, a 1980 premiership teammate of Malthouse, outlined the uncompromising back pocket’s value to the Tiger line-up . . .
“He was a real hard nut out on the field,” Weightman said.
“Me, being a rover, every now and then I got a run on the ball, when KB (Kevin Bartlett) went off it . . . With Mick (in the back pocket), you knew that you could run the opposition down, because they never wanted to go rest in the forward pocket, because he used to belt the crap out of them . . . he’d give it to them the whole time.
“He just gave everything he had . . . he was a ripper.
“You could tell that he was going to go into coaching because he was the leader of our back half and got it all organised so well.”
Despite Malthouse’s penchant for the defensive aspects of the game, he also had the ability to win his fair share of the leather himself. He was a strong mark for his size and used the ball effectively.
In 1978, Malthouse, not surprisingly, won the Tigers’ Most Determined Player award.
Two years later, he was a key member of the Richmond side that flogged Collingwood by a then-record league margin of 81 points, to capture the premiership.
It was a star-studded Tiger line-up, containing the likes of Weightman, Kevin Bartlett, Francis Bourke, Geoff Raines, Bryan Wood, Barry Rowlings, Robert Wiley, Mark Lee, Michael Roach and David Cloke.
Malthouse did not possess the sheer talent of those players, but he more than compensated through other attributes that made him just as valuable to the team.
The dislocated shoulder, which forced him to miss the Tigers’ 1982 Grand Final loss to Carlton, bore testimony to that.
To this day, Richmond people are convinced had Malthouse he been fit to play, the Tigers would have won that premiership, such was his importance to the line-up . . .
Mick Malthouse profile
Born: 17/8/1953
Height: 180cm
Playing weight: 76kg
Richmond trade history: Traded to the Tigers by St Kilda just before the then June 30 clearance deadline in 1976
Guernsey number at Richmond: No. 28 and No. 7
Debut at Richmond: Round 14, 1976 v Collingwood, MCG
Games at Richmond (1976-1983): 121
Goals at Richmond: 10
Richmond Life Member (2013)
