Geelong two-time premiership coach Chris Scott has revealed how shut he got here to resigning after one other finals disappointment on the finish of the 2021 AFL season.
Scott requested key Cats figures if he was the suitable man for the job within the wake of their heavy preliminary last loss to eventual premiers Melbourne.
It was the most recent in a string of finals losses for Geelong, together with the 2020 grand last towards Richmond.
The failure towards Melbourne heightened discuss that the Cats beneath Scott had been too previous and wouldn’t win a flag.
But they reworked themselves final season and belted Sydney within the grand last.
Scott is now a two-time premiership coach, having additionally taken the Cats to the 2011 flag in his first season on the membership, and a two-time premiership participant at Brisbane.
“I don’t think anyone wants to out-stay his welcome and it’s hard to walk away, especially when you’re pretty good,” Scott mentioned.
“It wouldn’t have taken much to nudge me out.”
While it’s identified round Geelong that Scott requested the query of his personal future on the finish of the 2021 season, it has by no means been detailed so publicly.
Scott, retired Geelong captain Joel Selwood and his successor Patrick Dangerfield spoke about it within the Relentless documentary on the Cats premiership, which was screened for the primary time at Thursday evening’s AFL season launch in Melbourne.
“I remember Chris asking ‘am I the right person for it?’,” Dangerfield mentioned.
Scott mentioned they had been an excellent workforce, however had not been adequate to beat the generational groups that went on to win the premiership.
He additionally spoke of Geelong’s dedication throughout his tenure to remain close to the highest and buck the AFL system of equalisation.
“There’s no doubt our approach was unorthodox and contrarian, but there’s no point being contrarian if you’re wrong,” he mentioned.
“The thing I’m proud of is our whole club has just refused to roll over.
“If you are going to be criticised for all the time giving yourselves an opportunity to win it, ending within the high 4 and never accepting the competitors or the system has type of caught up with you … I’ll put on that.
“I’d much rather be there than safely out of the conversation.”
Scott additionally had a thinly veiled warning for the remainder of the league because the Cats attempt to go back-to-back for less than the second time in membership historical past.
“At some point it will change for us and we’ll have to move quickly when that happens – but it’s not now,” he mentioned.
Also on the season launch, AFL chairman Richard Goyder introduced that broadcasting nice Bruce McAvaney will probably be inducted into the league’s Hall Of Fame later this 12 months.
Two-time grand last umpire Glenn James may even be honoured throughout the AFL’s Sir Doug Nicholls indigenous spherical this season.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
