Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse has lashed out at the media's coverage of the recent Heath Shaw and Alan Didak controversy describing it as 'disgusting'.
A fired-up Malthouse, speaking on Thursday on the eve of his side's must-win Round 20 clash against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium, described the coverage of Shaw's recent drink-driving charge and the involvement of serial bad boy Didak - who was drinking with Shaw and was a passenger in his car when Shaw crashed it into two parked cars - as totally out of proportion.
"That is no secret," he said on Thursday, when asked if he was upset at how much coverage the incident had received.
"I make no apologies quite frankly - I think it's disgusting and I don't think it's proportionate."
Malthouse said even the fact that Shaw had been charged by police with being over the legal limit did not mean he deserved to totally dominate the news in Melbourne for days last week.
"Next time there is a police charge bought against someone from another club - just have a look at the scale of the coverage (compared to the coverage for the Collingwood players)," he said.
"Collingwood sells newspapers - if it's Collingwood, it's a mad frenzy - it's like a shark with a bit of blood in its nostrils."
The Magpies at first backed Shaw and Didak, only to later suspend both for the rest of the season after the pair lied about Didak's involvement in the incident.
But despite being upset over the extent of the media coverage the pair received, Malthouse refused to guarantee on Thursday that either player - two of the club's stars - would still be at the Lexus Centre next season.
"I don't think there is a guarantee for anyone to be here (next season) at this football club, me included," he said.
"There is no guarantee in football clubs but I think we will leave all that to the end of the year."