Collingwood president Eddie McGuire insists Mick Malthouse will happily step down as coach at the end of next season, playing down reports of a rift between the pair.

In his grand final victory speech on Saturday, Malthouse failed to thank McGuire, fuelling talk the premiership coach was disgruntled with the current agreement to make him director of football when Nathan Buckley becomes coach for the 2012 season.

Malthouse denied he had been ungracious to McGuire.

"That (accusation) is grossly unfair," Malthouse told Foxtel's "On The Couch" program on Monday night.

McGuire insisted Malthouse was happy and actually agreed before Buckley's signature was secured.

"It's a five-year contract (with Malthouse) that was discussed at great length and executed and everybody was very happy about it and everybody knows their place and it has been very successful so far," McGuire told SEN radio on Monday.

"Mick signed a contract (before this season) and has said 'Yeah, I'm going to coach for two years and after that I've got a three-year contract to be director of football'.

"I think there's one thing we all have to take into consideration here ... this agreement and signed contract was not inflicted in Michael, it was actually agreed with Mick before we even spoke to Bucks.

"That was taking into account a number of things which I'm not going to go into at any stage, it's for Mick to disclose in due course."

McGuire said he wasn't fazed by Malthouse's failure to thank him in his grand final acceptance speech, saying it was a time for the players and coach.

"I didn't read anything (into it) nor did I take any slight at it," McGuire said.

Malthouse said he was happy to honour the deal and serve a three-year term as Collingwood's director of coaching from 2012-14.

"Forty years in this game non-stop playing and coaching, I want to smell the roses," said Malthouse, 57.

"I coach hard. And after 28 years of that particular coaching philosophy ...

"I want to be 100 per cent on to work towards another premiership for Collingwood and come October 31st (2011) my contract finishes as a coach, then I'll say I'm satisfied."

Malthouse, who has coached the Magpies for 11 seasons, also confirmed his interest in getting Fremantle fullback Chris Tarrant back to Collingwood.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP