Dramatic moment footy great Mick Malthouse fought off accused home invaders barefoot in his pyjamas after he was allegedly attacked and stabbed

By WAYNE FLOWER, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 05:11, 20 July 2026 | Updated: 05:11, 20 July 2026 Footy great Mick Malthouse has relived the moment he fought off three alleged home invaders with gym equipment while barefoot in his pyjamas. Andrew Carroll, 50, Aysar Mashu, 38, and Joshua Di Cello, 36, allegedly broke in to burgle the East Melbourne home of Malthouse, 72, in September last year. The West Coast and Collingwood great told Melbourne Magistrates' Court how he confronted the men, armed with a crowbar, using a piece of weightlifting equipment. But under cross examination, Malthouse - allegedly stabbed with a screwdriver in the incident - was accused of 'depriving their liberty' and lashing out at them in anger.  He was also questioned about his reputation as a player by the defence, comparing his response to the alleged home invasion with his on-field conduct as a player. 'Mr Malthouse - as absurd as it may sound - liberty was deprived in those seconds by you,' barrister John Desmond told Malthouse.  'Yeah, well, that’s the case. I agree,' Malthouse replied. 'I held the door as long as I could, knowing there was no way I was going to be able to control their movements.  Footy great Mick Malthouse has relived the moment he fought off three alleged home invaders with gym equipment while barefoot in his pyjamas  Mr Desmond added: 'You made a decision: "I'm going to confront them and ask questions later." Not questions first. 'You’re going to confront them, assault them, and ask questions later.' Malthouse replied: 'At my own protection.' In an exchange lasting hours, Mr Desmond accused Malthouse of being known for violence during his long AFL career.  'You’ve never been known to take a backward step on the football field, have you?' he asked.  'Well, it’s irrelevant,' Malthouse said. 'In fact, when you were coach of the West Coast Eagles, there was an incident,' Mr Desmond said.  His question was cut short by a prosecution objection.  Andrew Carroll, 50, Aysar Mashu, 38, and Joshua Di Cello, 36, allegedly broke in to burgle the East Melbourne home of Mick Malthouse, 72,  and his wife Nanette (pictured together) Malthouse had earlier told the court he had 'cracked' one of the alleged intruders on the head with the weightlifting gear during the attack.  ‘He’s on the way down and I’ve cracked him,' Malthouse told the court.  Malthouse had been outnumbered three to one when he confronted the men, and was suffering from shingles at the time. He initially thought the men had been his cleaner, armed with a broom, before realising what was happening.  'It was a very chaotic moment,' he said. 'I thoroughly remember being stabbed first.' Carroll and Mashu are facing charges of attempted aggravated home invasion, burglary and intentionally causing injury. Di Cello was charged with burglary and attempted burglary. Prosecutors allege Malthouse suffered a puncture wound from a screwdriver during the alleged altercation.  Prosecutors added that Carroll had also allegedly been injured by the former premiership player.  The West Coast and Collingwood great told Melbourne Magistrates' Court how he confronted the men, armed with a crowbar, using a piece of weightlifting equipment  Malthouse told the court a child had been in the apartment complex during the attack.  The court heard the men became trapped in Malthouse's garage after he confronted them.  'It was like trying to herd cats, they were all over the place,' he said.  The court heard Malthouse interrogated the men about why they were there before letting them out.  Malthouse said the men claimed they had come to collect a debt, but had entered his house by mistake.  He compared the men to 'a bunch of cockatoos' who each backed up the debt collection claims.  'I was trying to keep them back while hoping police would arrive,' he said. 'They partially complied.  'One was more articulate and said they had the wrong building - someone owed money. The others repeated it.' Mick Malthouse was known for his no-nonsense attitude and disdain for reporters during his coaching career  The court heard one of the men allegedly taunted Malthouse after stabbing him with the screwdriver, saying: 'Now I've stabbed you, you b***ard.' The men had all been dressed in black and had their faces covered during the alleged attack.  The court heard Malthouse described one of his alleged attackers as 'tubby'. Malthouse was forced to relive his ordeal under cross-examination by Mr Desmond, who grilled him about his injury and order of events.   'It split the skin and bled and left for at least two or three weeks a substantial soreness around my sternum,' Malthouse said.  Malthouse insisted he had been stabbed before he struck out at the intruder who was armed with the crowbar.  'I thought I had every justification in trying to get them off the top floor,' he said.  Malthouse had been a premiership winning coach for Collingwood  Malthouse acknowledged he had been angry and upset when he fought the men back with the bar, which was the sort traditionally used to work biceps.   'If I had my way I would of had the three of 'em,' he said.  The court was played video of Malthouse explaining what happened to police on the night and showed him wielding the bar as he did during the confrontation.    His wife Nanette was wearing a white dressing gown as she explained her version of events.  Malthouse insisted he was struck on the arm by one of the men as he confronted them outside his door in the stairwell of the apartment complex.  'I was swinging, make no mistake about it, and they swung back,' he said. 'I wasn't going to swing without trying to hit them. Remember they had the two weapons.' Mr Desmond accused Malthouse of swinging first - an accusation he vehemently denied. 'I know it took place,' he told the court. 'I was touched.'   Mr Desmond further suggested Malthouse had provided mixed answers on whether he had been awake or asleep at the time the men entered the complex.  'There are degrees of asleep, let me tell you, when you have shingles,' Malthouse said.  Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.