It’s a fact of football life Collingwood and Manly are the two most hated clubs in the AFL and rugby league respectively. Yet they are coached by Mick Malthouse and Des Hasler, two of the most respected.

Ask fans who they support and they’ll answer such-and-such a club, and any club playing against Collingwood and Manly.

Ask about Malthouse and Hasler and the same fans will say “good blokes,” hope they win.

Go figure.

Yet Collingwood boast a record 71,271 members, so they really don’t give a continental what the rest of the AFL fans think.

That figure’s up from 58,240 last year, which also set a new AFL record.

Needless to say Collingwood is tops in the membership race, as Malthouse wants to be tops tomorrow afternoon in his final game from the coaches box.

The mail is Malthouse is heading for the Channel 7 commentary box, where he will be just as successful as an analyst. But I wonder if Mick Malthouse really wants to call halt.

His retirement was pre-ordained two years ago with one of Collingwood’s favourite sons Nathan Buckley anointed his successor.

I said it was a bad call at the time. I’m even more convinced now.

Malthouse should have been given the respect he deserves by deciding his own retirement date. He’s earned that right after 27 years of coaching at the top level: the last 12 with Collingwood.

Buckley should have been made to wait his turn or move to another club if impatience got the better of him.

Besides, there’s no guarantee Buckley will have anywhere near the coaching abilities of Malthouse. Collingwood boss Eddie Maguire will rue the pre-ordainment.

Having said that, I hope Mick Malthouse goes out a winner against Geelong to claim his fourth flag: two with the West Coast Eagles in 1992 and 1994 , and back-to-back premierships in 2010 and 2011.

He deserves nothing less.

And the same applies to Des Hasler, looking for his second premiership in four years,

He has a year to run with Manly, but then he’s up for grabs, unless the Manly powers-that-be don’t get cracking quick smart after Sunday.

Manly needs Hasler far more than Hasler needs Manly. Vastly bigger sums are on offer to Hasler outside the peninsula, but at least he’ll be making his own career decision and not have it made for him.

So I’m going for a Collingwood-Manly grand final double this weekend, not because of the clubs, but because of Mick Malthouse and Des Hasler.