Mick Malthouse has blasted Victoria’s crime crisis, claiming that people are ‘sick to death of it’, after the footy icon was forced to use an exercise bar to fend off three armed home invaders during an alleged robbery.
The 72-year-old former West Coast Eagles and Collingwood coach stated that apart from a few sleepless nights, he was doing OK after the incident. However, it is understood that he had sustained some minor injuries after one of the robbers allegedly attempted to stab him in the chest with a screwdriver.
He added his wife, Nanette, was: ‘doing it pretty hard’ after the incident.
The former Richmond and St Kilda defender’s home was broken into in the early hours of Thursday morning. The premiership-winning coach chased the robbers down a stairwell and into a laneway near his Melbourne apartment.
The three men, who were armed with a crowbar and screwdriver, fled on foot, according to Victoria Police, who have now opened an investigation into the matter.
It comes as Victoria has seen a 17 per cent rise in the number of criminal offences recorded in the state between March 2024 and March 2025. That continues a gradual upwards trend in crime from 2022, with a 33 per cent rise in criminal offences having been recorded over the past four years.
Iconic AFL coach Mick Malthouse (pictured) has blasted Victoria’s rising crime rate claiming ‘people are sick to death of it’
The Crime Statistics Agency states Victoria has seen a 17 per cent rise in the number of criminal offences recorded in the state between March 2024 and March 2025
Malthouse is understood to have suffered minor injuries after the footy great chased three home invaders out of his Melbourne apartment on Thursday
The Crime Statistics Agency claims that the majority of those crimes relate to property offences, which police believe is attributable to recent pressures associated with the cost-of-living crisis.
‘I think people are just sick to death of it,’ Malthouse told The Herald Sun, speaking on the rise in Victoria’s crime rate.
‘The police were fantastic, they were here pretty quickly.
‘We shouldn’t be subjected to this but it just seems to be more and more, unfortunately.
‘Police are under more and more pressure and we seem to have laws that, in my mind, do not satisfy the public, under any circumstances.’
The footy great added that current laws relating to bail weren’t up to standard either.
‘Even if we caught them, they’d be out in 10 minutes,’ he added.
‘Clearly we’ve got laws that are for the perpetrators but not the victims.’
Malthouse said the trio were armed with a crowbar and a screwdriver (stock image)
The footy coach was left with minor injuries after one of the home invaders allegedly attempted to stab him with the screwdriver
A youth crime epidemic has also surged in Victoria of late, reaching 23,810 in 2023-2024, the highest it has been since 2009.
Premier Jacinta Allan introduced harsher bail laws in March, making it harder for criminals of all ages to be released back into the community.
Meanwhile, Malthouse has opened up on the ordeal, revealing he had grabbed an exercise bar to defend himself against the perpetrators, while also wearing his pyjamas.
‘It was only something that I used for football 50 years ago, it’s amazing how things come in handy,’ he quipped.
‘It’s just a little bar that you use to try and strengthen your arms for tackling, so it comes in handy.’
The 72-year-old former footy player revealed that there was ‘a fair bit of action’ as one member of the robbers allegedly tried to jab him with the screwdriver.
‘There were three blokes on the other side (of our door) with a bit of weaponry,’ he told the Herald Sun.
‘I was able to get through and force them down the stairs with a little bit of interest on the way down.
‘I got them out the back door and managed to wrestle the crowbar off them.
‘One tried to jab me (with the screwdriver) and only partially succeeded.
‘He tried to stab me in the chest, so I’ve got a mark on my chest and they whacked my arm a couple of times. There was a fair bit of action.’
