For the second time in four years, Mick Malthouse and his broken heart have lurched onto a collision course with their football club.
In 2011, Malthouse's struggle with his enforced termination date threatened to derail Collingwood as it worked towards back-to-back premierships. The Magpies' hierarchy, from president Eddie McGuire down, held their tongues and fought to keep the peace until the end of September. The backlash came later.
This time around, the stakes have dramatically lowered and only Malthouse's legacy demands protection. But respect is wearing thin and both sides currently seem to be struggling with just who will be the first to blink.
Carlton has at least placed a deadline on this agonising scenario and even in doing so has explained it has moved forward a decision in the club's best interests.
Whether both parties can survive the next fortnight which starts with a Friday night game against Sydney this weekend remains uncertain.
But what is certain is that this time around it really will be the end of Malthouse's coaching career.
He knows it and Carlton knows it even though the club has prolonged the agony until the bye when several directors will have returned from overseas and Mark LoGiudice and Co can best decide how to pick up the pieces.
Malthouse was undiplomatic if largely accurate in pointing out that the rebuilding label and the suggestion that no player was sacrosanct from trade was a trigger for his team's current listlessness. But his failure to urge his players into any sort of aggression or form over the past four weeks has cruelled any ambition of a new contract. The magic has gone.
And his refusal to play ball with his bosses has brought forward the conclusion even though it currently seems more like procrastination.
While some directors and executives wanted him gone last Friday LoGiudice remains determined to stick to a process.
Just as he remained mystified when he came on board as to why contracts in football could be served and honoured by clubs to their conclusion without question or comment, the chairman must now be wondering why Malthouse too cannot keep his end of the bargain.
Not only did he break ranks last week but Malthouse first raised the issue of his tenure pre-season when he said the insecurity was rubbing off on his players and assistants — many of whom will be terminated by the season's end. After just two losses the coach talked down his club lamenting that free agents did not want to join the club.
McGuire and Gary Pert must have felt like this was Groundhog Day. And after last Thursday's outburst Malthouse appeared oblivious to all the fuss. He was reportedly unrepentant at going "off message".
But Carlton is headed for its third wooden spoon in a decade and its fourth this century. Malthouse is not a beloved premiership coach at this club. Replacing favourite son Brett Ratten one year after Ratten had coached the Blues to their third successive finals series, Malthouse was seen to have also recruited his beloved fitness boss David Buttifant and then his former Magpie star Dale Thomas. Neither has proved a success.
History will relate that Malthouse coached three premierships and reached seven grand finals — eight if you include the 2010 draw — and coached more games than any other. Perhaps it's not too late for history to record that his departure when it came was dignified.
