Carlton coach Mick Malthouse has switched codes to heap praise on Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou and admits he’s been inspired by his use of young, inexperienced players.
The Carlton coach is seeing the benefits of not heavily relying on names to get results.
“I take my hat off to anyone who’s got the courage to play kids in preference to names,” he said in a press conference alongside Postecoglou.
“It’s easy to make the excuse that the older players weren’t up to it, but you can’t use that with kids.”
He says he’s learned so much from codes like soccer and rugby, and is baffled by the way Postecolgou has transformed his side.
“The great thing that I’ve watched is the advancement of young players in his side,” he says.
“I don’t know how he’s handled it.”
In a rare show of support, Malthouse aimed to bridge the divide in the two sports and call out fans bitter over soccer’s popularity.
“If you can’t be happy with Australia winning the cup, you’re fearing the wrong thing,” he said. “It’s a unique game that will survive. It’s a world game that’s going to survive.
“You can’t be blind to it, but you also can’t fear it.”
