Mick Malthouse

Just ahead of Round 12, the AFL held their annual Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. Three were honored posthumously - the late Trevor Barker, the late Jim Deane and the late Ron Evans. The other three were Brad Hardie, Mick Malthouse and Ken Hunter.

TREVOR BARKER
St Kilda 1975-1989
Games: 230
Goals: 134

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

The Finals history between Hawthorn and West Coast is brief, with just two Finals matches and one Grand Final since the Eagles were admitted to the competition in 1987. The Hawks were a powerhouse throughout the 1980's with Grand Final appearances from 1983-1989. The Hawks won four of those seven matches, including two in a row in 1988 and 1989. At the time, West Coast was a fledgling team aiming high. While Hawthorn had many battle-hardened warriors, the Eagles were comprised of a few experienced players who had returned to Perth from the Victorian teams they played for to join the Eagles, players plucked from teams in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and young players from the juniors' competition via the draft.

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

As it transpired, the axe fell two weeks early, with a meeting taking place Tuesday afternoon after the Blues' loss to Geelong.

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

The 66-year coaching record of perhaps Collingwood's greatest ever coach Jock McHale will be equaled in Round Four and surpassed in Round Five. Carlton Coach Mick Malthouse will coach his 714th match, putting him equal with McHale. While McHale played and coached only at Collingwood, Mick's record includes 135 games coaching Footscray (now Western Bulldogs), 243 games coaching West Coast, 286 games with Collingwood and 50 games (through Round Four) at Carlton.

Rick Browner reporting for AFANA from Patersons Stadium, Perth

Fremantle picked a win out of the pocket of Carlton at Patersons Stadium in their Round 19 clash. Pre-game defiant Blues' coach Mick Malthouse was adamant that they weren’t in Perth to “just lay down”. Although their 2014 season has been less than impressive, Carlton had won six out of their past nine encounters in Perth so they had some reason to feel confident. The Dockers brought their "A Team" to the encounter after an embarrassing humiliation in their last game against St Kilda and the Dockers needed every man as the match went down to the last 40 seconds to decide the winner.

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

After the Round Three drubbing Carlton suffered against Essendon, Coach Mick Malthouse described the loss and the team performance as embarrassing. Captain Marc Murphy said the players discussed the loss as a group and faced some home truths. He also believed the team could lift and redeem themselves against fellow struggler Melbourne. Andrew Carrazzo believed the team would learn and find a way to bring out a more ruthless streak against Melbourne. The lesson obviously failed to sink in and the Demons pounced. Trailing early in the first term, they kicked five unanswered goals either side of the first break and never looked back. They used the ball better than the Blues with midfielder Nathan Jones dominating Murphy and a more potent attack in Frawley, Watts and Dawes.

Jamie Kloeden and Janet Linn reporting from Australia

It has been a big off-season for both Carlton and Port Adelaide. The Blues lured one of the biggest name free agents on the market in Dale Thomas who made the move from Collingwood while Port brought in Jared Polec from Brisbane. Port Adelaide faces the added pressure of being the big improvers of season 2013 and will now be expected to not only maintain that high level of performance but take it to the next level and be genuine contenders for the Premiership title.