Why Chris Scotts time at Geelong is not up yet
Itâs been quite the season for AFL coaches.
Such is the cutthroat nature of footy, change is never too far away. And for some clubs this year, that change was both difficult and significant.
First, Nathan Buckleyâs time at Collingwood came to an end after a decade as coach and more than twice that when you include his playing career.
Cats coach Chris Scott has got his team to a preliminary final in five out of the last 10 years.Credit:AFL Photos
Even four premierships didnât stop a messy exit for Alastair Clarkson at Hawthorn, as the Hawks looked to the future with a Sam Mitchell succession plan.
Then the âTeague Trainâ ran out of puff. After months of speculation, the Blues finally made the call to move on David Teague.
Just as fascinating â" and baffling â" is the recent commentary around Chris Scott. Some are already asking, if the Cats fall short this September, what that might mean for his future.
Itâs been well documented this week that since winning a flag in 2011 â" Scottâs first year as coach â" their record in week-one finals is 1-8 and many seem to be using that to justify their criticism of his coaching.
But putting that in context: theyâve been beaten twice in elimination finals in years they finished sixth and eighth.
Only once â" in 2014 â" were the Cats sent packing in straight sets, which means theyâve still managed to reach five preliminary finals in the past decade and a win on Friday night will obviously make it six.
If nothing else, Scott has given the Cats a chance almost every season.
Letâs not forget how heâs also adapted and reshaped this team in the past few years.
The precise, methodical, uncontested ball-use might look slow at times, particularly when teams â" such as Port Adelaide, last week â" are able to apply extreme pressure to the ball carrier.
But the Power are pretty handy at home and every now and then you can have a shocker. Scoreboard pressure also played a part.
That same game plan also got Geelong three goals up in last yearâs grand final and, in truth, it should have been more like six.
If not for some individual moments of brilliance from Dustin Martin, who knows what might have been?
Some have also questioned whether supposed âwhingeingâ from Scott over the past 12 months has affected the playing group â" on topics such as the soft cap, the bye, his enjoyment of coaching and so on. In my experience, none of that rings true for the players.
We never felt any added pressure from the challenges faced by North Melbourne in the â90s, and there were many: talk of the club being shifted to Tasmania or Canberra, or any number of places, and financial difficulties that often seemed to have the club on the brink.
As captain, Iâd only listen to Denis Paganâs media conferences to get an idea on certain topics in case I was asked similar questions.
In reality, most of what he said in that forum went in one ear and out the other because what was said internally was so much more important.
The outside noise simply wasnât worth worrying about.
Like any coach, there are probably things Scott might think he could have delivered differently, after the fact. But when you face the media furnace every week, itâs almost impossible not to get burnt from time to time.
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick certainly hasnât held back his strong messaging and protection of his players, but the same criticism isnât afforded to him because of those three flags. Winning changes everything.
Iâve said before, one of the most important things now for Scott and Geelong is to work out how to get opportunities to guys such as Quinton Narkle.
But any notion that the clubâs premiership window might close this year is off the mark, in my opinion. As long as theyâve got Joel Selwood, Tom Hawkins and Patrick Dangerfield on their list, the Cats are entitled to have a crack, particularly when you consider how well theyâre playing.
That trio is clearly closer to the end than the start, but theyâre still such important contributors. Isaac Smith has been a fantastic addition, Jeremy Cameron great when fit, and Shaun Higgins can still play a part.
Alongside those guys the Cats have a core of Mitch Duncan, Cam Guthrie, Mark Blicavs and Tom Stewart in their prime.
Stewart is, no doubt, a huge loss, but Geelong are not a one-man band. The best teams have dealt with losing key players â" think Richmond and Alex Rance, or the Cats and Gary Ablett jnr when Scott first arrived at the club. Thereâs no reason they canât do the same now.
When youâve been at a club for as long as Scott has, or Clarkson at Hawthorn and John Longmire at Sydney, we often hear how the same message might not always resonate like it once did. But thatâs also a bit of a furphy.
For the players whoâve been at the club for a long period of time, the messaging, for the most part, isnât for them anyway â" as they would know it back to front.
Itâs for the younger players, the mid-rung guys or those new to the club. Players such as Selwood and Dangerfield will know whatâs meant for them and whatâs meant for others.
Whatâs most important, particularly in finals, is their leadership. Their ability to reinforce Scottâs message out on the ground.
I donât expect the Cats to change much ahead of the clash with the Giants, but if their opponents get on top, itâs the on-field leaders that are more important than a coach sitting in a box.
Thatâs because they can react so much more quickly.
Geelong have that leadership, much like Hawthorn did with Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Jordan Lewis and Jarryd Roughead.
Of course, Selwood and Dangerfield wonât be there forever, nor will Scott. All good things eventually come to an end â" but any thoughts of that time being now for Chris Scott are premature.
You often donât know what youâve got âtil itâs gone.
Wayne Carey is a two-time AFL premiership captain and columnist for The Age.
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