The Ox is Slow but the Earth is Patient

About the Author

Mick Malthouse, a father of four, began life in the country town of Wendouree, Ballarat. He began to play football with North Ballarat and from here he was recruited to the then VFL team St. Kilda and went on to play with Richmond for several years. Following his retirement from playing, he commenced his coaching career at Footscray. Mick was soon headhunted and appointed senior coach of the recently established AFL team, the West Coast Eagles. Mick was successful while in WA, leading his players to two AFL Premierships in his ten-year tenure. After his proven success at West Coast, the president of Collingwood, Eddie McGuire, acquired Mick as the club's new coach. At Collingwood, Mick has taken the team to three grand finals in ten years, finally winning dramatically in 2010 in a grand final reply after the first match against the gun St Kilda side was tied.

David Buttifant is the scientist behind the scenes at successful AFL Football Club, Collingwood. In many ways, the innovations introduced by David over the last decade have dragged Collingwood and its conservative management kicking and screaming into the 21st century. From the time David introduced radical programs such as altitude training in Flagstaff Arizona the team entered a new realm of fitness and commitment. Prior to joining Collingwood, David cut his teeth working at the North Melbourne Football Club as a conditioning coach and preparing Olympic athletes prior to the Sydney Olympics.