AFL great Mick Malthouse has once again taken aim at Fremantle star Nat Fyfe, outlining the two-time Brownlow Medal winner shouldn’t be considered a “champion” of the game.
He reiterated the claim that he was called “Chimp” by Collingwood teammates, which was publicly backed up by Andrew Krakouer in 2017.“Collingwood is making statements about their ‘growth’,” Lumumba said. "Malthouse said reigning premiers Richmond, beaten grand finalists Greater Western Sydney, West Coast and Collingwood were the most serious flag contenders.He believed Brisbane and Hawthorn - boosted by the return of 2018 Brownlow Medal winner Tom Mitchell from injury - could also give the premiership a shake.But Malthouse tipped the Giants to rebound from their shattering 89-point grand final loss in 2019 to triumph for the first time. "It's going to be the bigger, stronger and more mature sides that will come out the other end," Malthouse told the "I think there's only five or six sides that can win the premiership this year and each one of them have got that really good blend of senior players. If he was, it wasn’t something that I jumped and thought, ‘Is he really worried about it?’” the three-time premiership coach told ABC Radio.“He was a very important part of our football side. It hurts a lot to think that he thought he was vilified at any stage and we didn’t do anything about it.“We had a great relationship and he never mentioned anything to me while I was at the football club that he was embarrassed, hurt or anything else other than the fact he got on so well with his teammates.”Buckley says he’s keen to reach out to Lumumba, but the former Magpie has no interest in sitting down with the club’s hierarchy behind closed doors.After Collingwood’s draw against Richmond on Thursday night, Buckley said the Magpies had “been able to able to grow” since Lumumba left for Melbourne at the end of 2014.“I would love to have him come to his old football club and see what we have become and the culture of acceptance, a celebration of difference, no matter your colour, religion,” Buckley told reporters.But Malthouse took umbrage at those comments, declaring Collingwood was a welcoming club before Buckley took over as coach.The pair’s relationship has been strained since Malthouse’s tenure at Collingwood ended in a famous coaching transition to the Magpies’ former star player.Buckley captained Collingwood under Malthouse’s reign but the pair aren’t so close these days.“I wasn’t surprised to hear and find out (Lumumba) didn’t get along with Nathan,” Malthouse said.“There was a suggestion by Nathan that they were trying to fix up the culture when he took over.“I find that very disappointing that anyone would suggest or make remarks about our culture.“We played it differently, we played it hard, we played with the flair those players wanted to and played for one another.
Reconciliation without accountability is not possible.”Lumumba wants Collingwood to admit he was treated poorly. Some experts have suggested the … Former Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse has hit back at Nathan Buckley as the racism storm with Heritier Lumumba intensifies.Mick Malthouse didn’t take kindly to suggestions from Nathan Buckley about Collingwood’s culture.Mick Malthouse has hit out at Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley and says he has no regrets about his relationship with former Magpie Heritier Lumumba. Coaching legend Mick Malthouse says only half a dozen teams are capable of winning the AFL premiership in the coronavirus-hit 2020 season.Some experts have suggested the shortened and disrupted season, which restarts on June 11, could open the door for teams to "pinch" an unexpected flag.But VFL/AFL coaching games record-holder Malthouse believes the 17-round campaign will heavily favour bigger, stronger and more "ballistic" teams.He also says versatile and explosive midfield-forward players like Dustin Martin, Jordan De Goey and Patrick Dangerfield will be influential during shortened quarters, with each period trimmed to 16 minutes plus time-on this season.