Rumour Chris Scott MIA at Geelong?

[Happy_Neale]

Haven’t heard much mentioned about this, but according to this article, Chris Scott

Chris Scott

Age

49

Ht

182cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.2

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

has not been present at training since Christmas and isn’t planned to return until just before the season starts.

This is clearly not normal and the explanation given is that it has to do with coaching the origin…Except that game isn’t until mid Feb and the cats returned in early Jan like everyone else.

Is this just a coach taking some extended leave (and nobody having an explanation for it) or is there more to it?

 

[frggr]

Why would he need to be present?

Geelong, famously, have the fewest contact hours for players in the league. The club runs well enough without Chris - he trusts his assistants and his players to be professional.

His reasons for taking an extended break are his own.

If there was footage of Geelong training to the standard that Carlton train, I'd be worried

 

[Happy_Neale]

Why would he need to be present?

Geelong, famously, have the fewest contact hours for players in the league. The club runs well enough without Chris - he trusts his assistants and his players to be professional.

His reasons for taking an extended break are his own.

If there was footage of Geelong training to the standard that Carlton train, I'd be worried

He’s the head coach. Taking a hands off approach is one thing…plenty of stories of the head coach letting the assistants take the reins in pre-season. But not being there for at all for basically over two months is a bit of an eyebrow raiser.

Also may just be coincidence but he has also listed his family home for sale quite recently.

 

[Fruit]

I think he has coached Geelong for 15 years. A lot of players might have been with him for the last 6-8 of them. I think giving them a break from his voice and his style might be refreshing for them.

 

[cats_09]

He’s the head coach. Taking a hands off approach is one thing…plenty of stories of the head coach letting the assistants take the reins in pre-season. But not being there for at all for basically over two months is a bit of an eyebrow raiser.

Also may just be coincidence but he has also listed his family home for sale quite recently.

It is coincidental because the 3yr extension he signed back in December is a pretty good indication of his commitment to Geelong

His time away from the club isn't uncommon as he's often taken a hands off approach during the pre-season, allowing the assistant coaches to step up and take more responsibility at this time of year - could have asked any Geelong regulars and they would have told you this a couple of months back

 

[STPer18]

Relax, he didn't do a Lachie Neale

9

Lachie Neale

Age

32

Ht

177cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.0

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

15.5

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.7

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

28.3

5star

K

13.9

5star

HB

14.4

5star

M

4.6

4star

T

4.0

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

7.4

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

CL

0.4

3star

/Jack Payne/Will Ashcroft on his wife.

 

[Black Panther]

Guy has only so many hours in the day, being a C-suite employee for Morris Finance and being a Deakin Professor doesn't leave much time for pesky football

 

[Happy_Neale]

Relax, he didn't do a Lachie Neale/Jack Payne/Will Ashcroft on his wife.

A little defensive there in response to a genuine question

 

[Happy_Neale]

It is coincidental because the 3yr extension he signed back in December is a pretty good indication of his commitment to Geelong

His time away from the club isn't uncommon as he's often taken a hands off approach during the pre-season, allowing the assistant coaches to step up and take more responsibility at this time of year - could have asked any Geelong regulars and they would have told you this a couple of months back

Has he been unsighted at training for this period of time before? First I’ve ever heard of it but then again I’m not following Geelong news that much

 

[Del35196]

Got flogged by 10 goals in the GF. If I was a Geelong supporter I’d be expecting the coach to be there just like he expects his players to.

 

[cats_09]

Has he been unsighted at training for this period of time before? First I’ve ever heard of it but then again I’m not following Geelong news that much

Yes - even Dangerfield explained that

"It's been normal, to be honest, as to how a pre-season normally runs for us, Chris doesn't do much of that throughout our pre-season previously. Even last year, was pretty similar to this. That spread between James Kelly, James Rahilly and obviously 'Bucks' (Nathan Buckley) who's come in, who we're really excited to have on board."

 

[Happy_Neale]

Yes - even Dangerfield explained that

"It's been normal, to be honest, as to how a pre-season normally runs for us, Chris doesn't do much of that throughout our pre-season previously. Even last year, was pretty similar to this. That spread between James Kelly, James Rahilly and obviously 'Bucks' (Nathan Buckley) who's come in, who we're really excited to have on board."

That’s interesting because in the other article the reason given for him being away was due to coaching the origin.

By the way this is the full quote from danger:

“To be honest, it's been sort of status quo for us. As players, we don't really need to see Chris pre-Christmas. And the way the season's structured, once the season finishes for us, we go away, but the staff – and particularly for list management, Chris and some of the coaches – their season doesn't finish until late October, early November.

Pre-Christmas…never mentioned anything about not being around until opening round!

 

[frggr]

Lions fans are out of the woodwork. Keen for a distraction from their club culture, I suppose.

 

[SAweagle]

He's pulled a Bomber and moved into a shed in Port Melbourne with Tony Mokbel, all the best Chris.

 

[Happy_Neale]

Lions fans are out of the woodwork. Keen for a distraction from their club culture, I suppose.

Bailey Smith and Scott abusing women isn’t exactly a culture I’d be leaning into either tbh

 

[Sttew]

Haven’t heard much mentioned about this, but according to this article, Chris Scott has not been present at training since Christmas and isn’t planned to return until just before the season starts.

This is clearly not normal and the explanation given is that it has to do with coaching the origin…Except that game isn’t until mid Feb and the cats returned in early Jan like everyone else.

Is this just a coach taking some extended leave (and nobody having an explanation for it) or is there more to it?

With Nathan Buckley and some of the most experienced assistant coaches in the AFL, I’m sure things are fine at GMHBA Stadium

 

[Xtreme]

This is the time of year where he works to earn the majority of the money from his other side gigs!

 

[Bostonian]

Finger injury.

 

[cats_09]

That’s interesting because in the other article the reason given for him being away was due to coaching the origin.

By the way this is the full quote from danger:



Pre-Christmas…never mentioned anything about not being around until opening round!

If you want the full quote, try this:

"To be honest, it's been sort of status quo for us. As players, we don't really need to see Chris pre-Christmas. And the way the season's structured, once the season finishes for us, we go away, but the staff – and particularly for list management, Chris and some of the coaches – their season doesn't finish until late October, early November.

"We'll make slight adjustments with the way we train and the way we're going to play, but it's not like Chris isn't [across] those things anyway. He just doesn't need to be there for the daily grind that pre-season can provide at times. He, like us, wants to be at our best when it matters most. I think this is probably the way clubs will go in the future, given the demand put on coaches, [and] particularly the senior coach.

"It's been normal, to be honest, as to how a pre-season normally runs for us, Chris doesn't do much of that throughout our pre-season previously. Even last year, was pretty similar to this. That spread between James Kelly, James Rahilly and obviously 'Bucks' (Nathan Buckley) who's come in, who we're really excited to have on board."

Even pre-Xmas at the open training sessions Scott wasn't in attendance - it was Lappin working with the youngsters & those on modified training programs, while Buckley & Kelly were doing work with the main group

It's long been the case that over summer Scott's approach is not like that of manager who's across things, without being hands on with the daily training, gym sessions etc - that's where the assistant coaches step up and look after those tasks

Business as usual for Cats as coach remains on extended leave

 

[Happy_Neale]

If you want the full quote, try this:




Even pre-Xmas at the open training sessions Scott wasn't in attendance - it was Lappin working with the youngsters & those on modified training programs, while Buckley & Kelly were doing work with the main group

It's long been the case that over summer Scott's approach is not like that of manager who's across things, without being hands on with the daily training, gym sessions etc - that's where the assistant coaches step up and look after those tasks

Business as usual for Cats as coach remains on extended leave

Fair enough. Danger clearly looking to hose down the story in that interview. I doubt there has ever been a head coach take close to 3 months off in the pre-season but cats fans seem happy with it

 

[cats_09]

Fair enough. Danger clearly looking to hose down the story in that interview. I doubt there has ever been a head coach take close to 3 months off in the pre-season but cats fans seem happy with it

It's not the first time he's taken time off and a step back over summer which is maybe why it hasn't been discussed amongst Geelong fans - be it on BF or across socials

This is maybe a bit of a longer break than previous years, but that looks connected with the upcoming SoO match

And the real test from here will be how the team goes to start the season - if it's not a good start over the early rounds then this approach will get a bit more attention. But start the season well, and likely there's not much talk about it

 

[STPer18]

Lions fans are out of the woodwork. Keen for a distraction from their club culture, I suppose.

 

[Happy_Neale]

“swingers cheating”

Okay boomer

 

[Happy_Neale]

It's not the first time he's taken time off and a step back over summer which is maybe why it hasn't been discussed amongst Geelong fans - be it on BF or across socials

This is maybe a bit of a longer break than previous years, but that looks connected with the upcoming SoO match

And the real test from here will be how the team goes to start the season - if it's not a good start over the early rounds then this approach will get a bit more attention. But start the season well, and likely there's not much talk about it

Every year we get stories about coaches being hands off in the pre-season, that in and of itself isn’t really interesting. Word is he won’t be back until before opening round which is 2 weeks post SoO which is a bit different. See how it goes I guess

 

[Sttew]

Every year we get stories about coaches being hands off in the pre-season, that in and of itself isn’t really interesting. Word is he won’t be back until before opening round which is 2 weeks post SoO which is a bit different. See how it goes I guess

Why are you so heavily invested in when Chris Scott fronts up? You claim not to follow what goes on in Geelong, but your investment in this thread suggests otherwise.

I'd say bringing Nathan Buckley in for 2026 was partially designed to ease the workload on Chris Scott. I am not in the slightest bit fazed that Scott is having a break.