COLLINGWOOD has extended the contract of senior coach Mick Malthouse until the end of the 2009 season.

While the Magpies intended to announce Malthouse's contract extension soon — perhaps at the annual meeting — it is understood that the club secretly agreed to terms on a revised two-year deal with the veteran coach during the 2007 season.

Collingwood chose not to announce the extension when terms were reached, because the team was travelling well and the football department was keen to avoid any distractions at that time. Collingwood went on to lose the preliminary final by five points to eventual premier Geelong.

When asked about the contract extension last night, Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert said: "I don't have any comment at the moment."

The contract extension fits a pattern of the past two years, in which Malthouse has started each season knowing he is contracted beyond the next 12 months — removing both pressure and speculation and encouraging a longer-term view on recruiting and list management. Collingwood extended the senior coach's contract in December 2005 and agreed to extend it before the 2007 season.

But while it was agreed, the actual signing of the 12-month extension was delayed during 2007, and the administration, impressed by Collingwood's unexpectedly strong performance this year, opted to give the two-premiership coach an additional two years, securing him for 2008 and 2009.

The extension means that Malthouse's service at Collingwood will reach into a 10th season — equalling his time at West Coast. The terms of the contract are confidential, but Malthouse is among the highest paid in the competition and, as with most coaches, would likely have incentive clauses of some description in his deal.

Malthouse's extension makes him part of the large contingent of coaches who are contracted until the end of 2009, including Sydney's Paul Roos, West Coast's John Worsfold, Geelong's Mark Thompson, Port Adelaide's Mark Williams, the Bulldogs' Rodney Eade, Richmond's Terry Wallace, the Kangaroos' Dean Laidley, Brisbane Lions' Leigh Matthews, St Kilda's Ross Lyon, Adelaide's Neil Craig and Carlton's Brett Ratten. In all, 12 of the 16 coaches are contracted until 2009.