Bring your scarf to the MCG on Friday night. Be there by 7.00pm.
Magpies midfield coach Mark Neeld said on Fox Sports' AFL Insider on Tuesday night that the new rule would limit players' ability to run out a full season, and Malthouse said on Wednesday the club's two byes in rounds seven and 13 wouldn't be enough.
"Ideally, you'd like another one, just to have a player management plan in place," he said at the Peter Mac Cup Breakfast on Wednesday.
Malthouse said the new bench rules had seen the Pies develop three different scenarios for dealing with the change - one trialled during the NAB Cup, one in operation now and another to come before their first bye.
He said the club would continue to analyse the results of the experiments, but above all would ensure it had about 30 players capable of coming into the side and playing a role.
"Last year we divided by 22 fit players, and this year we're going 21. It doesn't matter if the sub player is used in the first minute or the last minute; it still works out the playing group itself have to play more minutes of football," he said.
"In some cases it's almost impossible that players play more because key backs or backline players generally play between 90 and 100 per cent of game time.
"Someone has to absorb those minutes. The only way you can really do it is analyse your team, and we've been experimenting with three different scenarios.
"We've got to trust the fact if someone is not there, like Nick Maxwell, our club captain who last year missed five or six games in a row, we didn't miss a beat because we were able to have our backline policed or marshalled by Harry O'Brien.
"The same has to go through the midfield. If someone's missing, you must be able to come into your second-tier players and they've got to take over that role."
Malthouse said captain Nick Maxwell was likely to return from the internal injury he sustained against West Coast in the NAB Cup semi final last month.
"He's totally over it and has been for 14 days, I think it is now," he said.
"All he needs to do is get through training and he'll be right but I'm pretty confident and comfortable that he's ready to play.
"The medical staff are very sure that he's available."
He also said Leon Davis was in the mix after a strong showing in the VFL on the weekend, and while his aim was to have an even spread of game time across an expanded squad, senior appearances wouldn't come for free.
"The VFL have played one game and they did very, very well. It's who is unavailable more so than who is going to be available," he said.
"We'll look at who's unavailable for this match and then we'll fill it up with players who have form."
Ticket information for Friday night
The AFL wishes to advise that tickets for Friday’s round three match between Collingwood and Carlton, to be played at the MCG, are selling extremely strongly on a demand basis.
A limited number of seats remain available in the public section of the ground while standing room tickets are now on sale for AFL members.
The AFL is encouraging all fans to purchase a ticket in advance to avoid disappointment. Tickets are on sale through Ticketek on 132 849, at any Ticketek outlet on online at ticketek.com.au.
The MCC advises those attending the match to allow plenty of time to arrive at the stadium and to take public transport where possible. Public and AFL games will open at 5.30pm and the MCC Members Reserve will open at 5pm.
