Coach Men's Senior Coach: Brad Scott

[gillon]

As much as Scott has HUGE leeway with the board and supporters right now, another year of this and the pressure will mount.

Bottom 4-6 most will expect, but another year of total offensive ineptitude and a zero-risk game style will signal the beginning of the end.

Although I suspect he will last until 2027 no matter what. Long term plan I can get behind - but that does not mean the coach isn’t allowed to be questioned and criticised during his tenure.

 

[Nifft]

What I meant was, he's not even our third choice as shown by the selection of Hayes, and was on the way out... yet is playing. It's to paint a picture of where we're at.

Yeah we are thin on the ground I 100% agree. But you'd expect guys like Goldy and Laverde to be showing some leadership whether they're in the VFL or AFL, and helping out the younger guys. It's disappointing guys like Redman and McGrath aren't helping more to direct those around them, but maybe they just don't have it in them to do that.

 

[Call Me Cake]

Yeah we are thin on the ground I 100% agree. But you'd expect guys like Goldy and Laverde to be showing some leadership whether they're in the VFL or AFL, and helping out the younger guys. It's disappointing guys like Redman and McGrath aren't helping more to direct those around them, but maybe they just don't have it in them to do that.

I'm with you on Redman and McGrath. But Lav just doesn't have the runs on the board to command respect. Would you take anything seriously from a guy who has Hayes ahead of him? McGrath was actually doing pretty well until the group fell down around him to be fair.

 

[faible]

Well they're hard to win for one and we're a mile off it at present so I don't think it's wild to think he's highly unlikely to win us a flag, he's also had 13 years as a senior coach and hasn't won it, I expect him to get to 15/16 before we're challenging to win finals.

What has my post go to do with Melbourne?

I imagine it's the Roos > Goodwin > Premiership idea, which isn't the first time that kind of thing has happened. Beveridge inherited most of the side from McCartney, McRae most of the side from Buckley, Chris Scott took over a good list from Thompson, Longmire from Roos.

Has happened heaps of times, the coach who gets the list in-place to win the Premiership often isn't the guy who actually coaches them to a win.

 

[Nifft]

I'm with you on Redman and McGrath. But Lav just doesn't have the runs on the board to command respect. Would you take anything seriously from a guy who has Hayes ahead of him? McGrath was actually doing pretty well until the group fell down around him to be fair.

But that's like saying the players wouldn't have respect for Goldy because he's not really meant to be there. I don't think it works that way. Senior guys in the twilight of their career can still provide leadership and get respect whether it be in the VFL or AFL.

 

[Squeaky]

Will Brad be our next premiership coach? Highly unlikely, but if we do it right, he should be the guy who sets the next guy up.

The unfortunate thing is that with the sheer number of Long Term injuries we keep having to move that time frame back before we even see some semblance of setting anything up.
All this against an angry & impatient supporter base. We are in a ****ing horrible place and far from getting out.

 

[thebigboy]

As much as Scott has HUGE leeway with the board and supporters right now, another year of this and the pressure will mount.

Bottom 4-6 most will expect, but another year of total offensive ineptitude and a zero-risk game style will signal the beginning of the end.

Although I suspect he will last until 2027 no matter what. Long term plan I can get behind - but that does not mean the coach isn’t allowed to be questioned and criticised during his tenure.

There's a great chance that he's the coach who has to go through the pain & list turnover and watches someone else take over and succeed

 

[Zach Package]

I imagine it's the Roos > Goodwin > Premiership idea, which isn't the first time that kind of thing has happened. Beveridge inherited most of the side from McCartney, McRae most of the side from Buckley, Chris Scott took over a good list from Thompson, Longmire from Roos.

Has happened heaps of times, the coach who gets the list in-place to win the Premiership often isn't the guy who actually coaches them to a win.

This is absolutely the pre build.

Ask yourself whether Scott is a good teaching coach...

 

[faible]

This is absolutely the pre build.

Ask yourself whether Scott is a good teaching coach...

I think the traits Scott has identified he wants are the traits modern football requires, and that modern football clubs require.

I think having a multi-year list management plan that Vozzo, Scott and Rosa have all agreed to and aligned on is what EFC needs to build towards success.

Now maybe Rosa will suck and we'll draft completely the wrong players and it'll all fail, such is the vagaries of sport, but it's not Vozzo, Scott or Rosa's fault that what came before them failed.

 

[Keystone agony]

Fans talk about game plan like it’s going to be the same each week. Like it’s going to be clear and evident to them, and then use it as an attack on Scott.

Game plan is each week and team specific. Also could change due to ground size, conditions, personal

Your not going to move the footy the same way against north as you are Geelong.

Fans think we gotta play fast, the best teams don’t play the fastest. Fans think slow is bad the best teams sometimes play slow and build up the footy and maintain possession. We gotta get better at playing fast, slow, stoppage, turnover, and limiting turnover and defending.

The best way to improve at all these facets is cohesion and that has been impossible with all the injuries we are dealing with. Yet the also fans want a shiny new toy in the team each week.

Yep the best correlation to success is still kick totals

 

[bomberlegend2007]

Bottom 4-6 most will expect, but another year of total offensive ineptitude and a zero-risk game style will signal the beginning of the end.

Although I suspect he will last until 2027 no matter what. Long term plan I can get behind - but that does not mean the coach isn’t allowed to be questioned and criticised during his tenure.

100%.

By 2027, we would have a core of players that should be playing finals. Then a question will be asked is Scott getting the best out of this side, or can someone else do better.

 

[andleanback]

100%.

By 2027, we would have a core of players that should be playing finals. Then a question will be asked is Scott getting the best out of this side, or can someone else do better.

I don’t think it’s a guarantee we have a core list that should be playing finals by 2027. Players at the quality of Nic Martin missing 12 months really determines how quickly you can accelerate forward.

 

[bomberlegend2007]

I don’t think it’s a guarantee we have a core list that should be playing finals by 2027. Players at the quality of Nic Martin missing 12 months really determines how quickly you can accelerate forward.

I agree, but I believe the perception will be that we should and therefore questions will be asked of Scott if he is the right man.

 

[Old Campaigner]

I agree, but I believe the perception will be that we should and therefore questions will be asked of Scott if he is the right man.

The club needs to manage that perception then.

 

[bomberlegend2007]

The club needs to manage that perception then.

I agree, but realistically, how can they?

The club needs to look like they are the goods come 2027. If the club has made no progress by then, Scott can’t survive that. I don’t believe any coach could survive that.

 

[Old Campaigner]

I agree, but realistically, how can they?

The club needs to look like they are the goods come 2027. If the club has made no progress by then, Scott can’t survive that. I don’t believe any coach could survive that.

By being unequivocal about the rebuild.

If they spin the usual shit about playing finals then of course they’re going to be judged against that publicly stated goal.

 

[SpeckieMcVeigh]

Constantly kicking backwards is not a game plan.

Take the game on, move it forward with purpose. Even Tigers can do that.

Have been a fan of Scott but that was rubbish. What drills are we doing at training? Yeah, we have injuries but these players are supposed to be top footballers, even if young.

Start playing footy instead of keepings off inviting a turnover.

There is not 1 player that has improved in the last 3 years IMO.

Agree with most of this. When you're mentioning a lack of improvement, are you excluding first and second year players? I'd argue that we've had a few players improve, like Durham / Caldwell / Martin / Draper / Bryan. Technically Reid as well, but he's basically like a first or second year player due to his injuries. However, we've definitely had way more stagnate or go backwards.

 

[MiguelM]

Agree with most of this. When you're mentioning a lack of improvement, are you excluding first and second year players? I'd argue that we've had a few players improve, like Durham / Caldwell / Martin / Draper / Bryan. Technically Reid as well, but he's basically like a first or second year player due to his injuries. However, we've definitely had way more stagnate or go backwards.

Agreed,

I was off on a rant. Must wait a few days before postin!!

 

[Zach Package]

Wonder whether all these injuries are a result of 2 seasons of observation and status quo and then a pretty arbitrary decision to draw a line in the sand and say ‘ok now we’re serious’ and push them harder.

The most common sense explanation is that he’s pushed them way harder than they are used to and it has broken them.

The the tinfoil explanation is that he’s pushed them way harder than they are used to and it’s broken them and that was always the expected outcome.

 

[Bipolar Bear]

A clear game plan in the first quarter tonight, it's been very obvious we know how to beat GWS.
We don't have the personnel however.

 

[dank420_]

The fact that he’s actually got us up for the game is something. But we seem to want to beat the teams we can’t a lot more than the teams we should.

 

[Lore]

We now have a thread dedicated to the rebuild, so any long-term forecasting and reviewing of recent list management decisions can go there: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/the-rebuild-est-2023-and-or-2025.1398835/

 

[joey_jo_jo]

Worth listening to the full ABC interview (link in the article). Hes a pretty straight shooter and very clear in getting his points across IMO

Scott in depth on Dons’ development, team connection, high performance structure

Senior Coach buoyed by youngsters in unique circumstances for Club.

www.essendonfc.com.au

 

[Lore]

I finally found the transcript (podcast version of the ABC interview has an auto generated transcript, which I've edited coz voice recognition is a bit of a fail) but I'll quote different sections into different threads where it's most relevant, since for the most part it's not really about Brad, he's just the one answering the questions on behalf of the club generally.

Reflecting on the game last week:

Yeah, it was disappointing not to get the result we were chasing, but I thought the effort, the intent, the ability to give ourselves enough opportunity to pick a competitive score was there. We had 57 inside 50s. We sort of controlled a fair bit of territory throughout the game. And as I said post-game, when you play the Giants, they score as well as any team in the competition from their back half. So if you told me that we'd have 57 times inside 50 and score 35% of the time, I'd be very concerned about what happened the other 65% of the time it went in, because they bounced the ball out really well. But we were able to contain that pretty well. So, you know, the effort and intent and endeavour was there. We just, we certainly lacked a bit of class and execution and inside forward 50 connection, which without, you know, I spoke also about not wanting to be, you know, make excuses and things like that. But the current reality is that 50% of our starting six weren't on our list six weeks ago. So that presents some challenges in terms of connection.

Debutants and developing young players:

Yeah, I think that's a good point. I mean, it's not one or the other. I think there's really, we certainly wouldn't have, we didn't plan this at the start of the year. We didn't want to, I don't think any team sets out to play 42 players and 13 debutants, but we certainly want to expose some players and improve our list. And you can only do that from seeing players play at AFL level. And otherwise, it's just potential that you see on the training track and at VFL level. So we certainly unearth some players that we think are going to be long-term players for us. But we started the year with, I think, very close to the largest number of players in that 23 to 27 years of age demographic. And it was an explicit aim for us to develop those players. And we needed a lot of those players to take the next step from being good contributors at AFL level to very good players at AFL level. And the injuries to a number of players has certainly stalled that progress. But it's opportunity for others and will definitely look different at the start of next year than we would have anticipated at the start of this year.

Yeah, I think Angus Clarke is always one that stands out to me in that scenario, because we certainly were, I speak like all clubs, like we also were delighted to pick a player in the draft, and we didn't think he'd be there at the pick he was. But, you know, we traded up, and we've done it probably a couple of times in the last two years. We've really looked to pick apart that part of the draft around sort of 30 to 50. And two years ago, we unearthed Archie Roberts, who we picked in the 50s. We traded up to get him, and we think he's a fantastic prospect for us, and already at 19 years of age, a leader for us in our football club. And Clarke, he was the same. He was a rat to get him at that pick, but we thought he'd be a player who'd need to develop for a year or two in the VFL. But we've had to expose him straight away, and kick three goals on debut in a Dreamtime game. And he's got a lot of work to do, but he's a player that ideally we don't want to see go out of our side regardless of our injury situation.

Merrett publicly reaffirming loyalty to the club:

And obviously you've got your leader in Merrett coming out recently saying he's all in on Essendon. How important was that to be said, but also live by example to have a player like that to come out and say, because he's one of the players you'd obviously, every club would love to get their hands on if he was available. But how amazing is that for him to come out and just say that and settle the storm a little bit for you guys?

I think it's always really important, Chad. I mean, Zach himself is just probably flabbergasted a little bit at the discussion because talking to me, he's just like, I don't know where it comes from. I couldn't be more committed. I said to him, well, unfortunately, sometimes regardless of what you think, you need to be explicit about what your views are. I've always had the view that I'll try and set the environment and set the vision and hold players accountable to that vision. But ultimately, players have got to make the commitment themselves. When your captain is being questioned about, is he all in on the football club, as exasperated as that makes Zach, I think the explicit public comments just puts it all to bed and it's great for the football club, but also great for his teammates too. There's no ambiguity there. He's the leader of our team. And I've regularly said that, Zach, that if we're going to improve as a football team, the captain and coach need to be in lockstep and we certainly are.

Injuries and the long injury list, fitness, longer seasons, less pre-season training time, managing loads, and Sean Murphy: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/thre...performance-sacked-18-7.1247184/post-88828622

Harley Reid: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/harley-reid-v-draft-win-win.1393525/post-88828615

Rebuilding: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/the-rebuild-est-2023-and-or-2025.1398835/post-88828610

From ABC AFL Daily: AFL Saturday: 'It's certainly unfair to lay the blame at the feet of one person', 19 Jul 2025

 

[Chucks]

Have sometimes had a few issues with Brads gameday coaching and team selection, but geez you can't fault him whatsoever on trying to really instil some cultural change from a football department perspective. The first coach in 20 years who (presumably) had a pretty strong influence on the departure of Dodoro as well.

We might well look back on his tenure very very favourably in the coming years, irrespective of whether he is a 'success' as our coach or not.