Strategy Chris Scott's coaching performance

[Maydok]

As i posted in another thread, I think he has done a great job this year.

The one thing I would be really critical of with the club this year, is the handling of Hawkins. I refuse to believe he would not have benefited from 6-weeks off. I think the medical staff have handled this injury woefully and given he is our most important player, that is just not good enough.

Related to that, the Menzel situation has been poorly managed as well. He did 4 knees in 2.5 years. That should not even be possible, at some point, probably after the second one, he should have been tipped out for 12-months.

A lot of injuries, re-occur more generally, so I am beginning to have my doubts about this facet of the club.

I just can't fathom that we spent the entire year knowing Hawkins was a day to day proposition without making a concerted effort to find a decent plan B. I find that astounding.

 

[And_ROOS]

I would have rathered Bartel forward instead of Walker, and had Josh Hunt in the team down back instead.

 

[And_ROOS]

I just can't fathom that we spent the entire year knowing Hawkins was a day to day proposition without making a concerted effort to find a decent plan B. I find that astounding.

I am at a loss as to how we have Kersten kicking bags every week in the VFL, has a big mature body, could put him deep forward and yet he doesnt get a look in at all. Deserved a go much more on the weekend then Walker did and probably wouldn't spud it up like he did.

 

[CatAttack84]

FFS talk about fickle supporters, here you are. CS is doing a good job with what he has to work with. He has transitioned retiring players and youth beautifully. His match day coaching is generally very good. He came up against a team that was better yesterday, it happens. He'll go back with the coaching and Leadership group and look at what went wrong. They'll reset and have another crack.

Geelong supporters make me sick sometimes.

If there is one legit gripe, it's that for the first time in recent memory our mid-fielders were aimlessly smashing the ball deep into the 50 to a pack contest our non-leading forwards had little chance in winning. Over and over and over. THAT was something the coach should've seen, and sent out a runner to say "boys, this isn't working, Forwards break off and lead, mid-fielders, look for a free target".

After about 10 mins, Fremantle must've thought, how easy is this, they keep doing the same thing.

 

[FredLeDeux]

I would have rathered Bartel forward instead of Walker, and had Josh Hunt in the team down back instead.

Bartel was our best player.
As a general rule you improve your team by fixing the things that aren't working, not by changing the things that are working.

 

[Partridge]

Bartel was our best player.
As a general rule you improve your team by fixing the things that aren't working, not by changing the things that are working.

Disagree with that. Better in the second half behind the ball, but he made numerous errors and gave one goal to Pavlich by being unable to lay a simple tackle.

 

[Partridge]

I didn't have time to get back to this one Winty, but I thought that was a big call.
We've had honour-winners in
Newman - AA, dual Carji, AFL Hall of Fame
Blake - Carji
Mossop - Carji
King - AA, dual Carji
as well as some other very good performers in
Mitchell (very short career here, but partnered Farmer for WA to destroy Nicholls),
Flanigan
Bourke
Barnes

I don't say you're wrong, mind you, I just think it's a big call, and not beyond reasonable dispute.

I would say just of the guys I've seen (and I really can't remember anyone before Rod Blake), Bourke is the best tap ruckman I've seen. Ottens has the reputation because he was an important member of three premiership sides - and that is awesome - but it doesn't make him the best ruckman. I'd go Bourke first, then him.

 

[CatAttack84]

Mackie and Gurthrie were the two who played their hearts for 4 quarters. Bartel would be third, as his start was ordinary.

 

[FredLeDeux]

Disagree with that. Better in the second half behind the ball, but he made numerous errors and gave one goal to Pavlich by being unable to lay a simple tackle.

There were 6 of our players with more clangers than him.
I thought he and Mackie were clearly our best two 4 quarter players.
Part of our problem was the way an unusual number of our players came in and out of the game with a good half, or quarter, or 3 quarters, but were quiet (or even poor) in the rest of the game.

 

[candiehappy]

I would say just of the guys I've seen (and I really can't remember anyone before Rod Blake), Bourke is the best tap ruckman I've seen. Ottens has the reputation because he was an important member of three premiership sides - and that is awesome - but it doesn't make him the best ruckman. I'd go Bourke first, then him.

needs more Polly

 

[FredLeDeux]

needs more Polly

No, it was expressly "since Polly". Otherwise it would have been too easy.

 

[candiehappy]

No, it was expressly "since Polly". Otherwise it would have been too easy.

my apologies Fred. Bourke was fantastic, cruel injury that took out of the game too soon. I still think that Ottens offered more around the ground, and was clearly a finals specialist. We didn't get to see Bourke in finals for more than a few minutes.

What's happened with Bourke's son?

 

[Cataholic]

I just can't fathom that we spent the entire year knowing Hawkins was a day to day proposition without making a concerted effort to find a decent plan B. I find that astounding.

Hard to disagree

 

[candiehappy]

Recruiting of McIntosh whilst delisting Stephenson was wrong for a start. Scott had the final call, should never have recruited that guy, always injury prone, overrated, cost us a healthy ruck who could have filled in to help take the load away from Blicavs or West instead of playing Walker as our 3rd ruck choice.
This year they played Hawkins who could not bend over, refused to rest him for 2 weeks when the team was sitting 1 games clear in 2nd spot but they wait until the end and then rest him at the most important time of the season???

just as Collingwood wouldn't take Stevie J because of injuries. Ottens was a big question mark. Selwood passed over at the draft because of suspect injuries ......

hindsight is a wonderful thing .......

 

[FredLeDeux]

my apologies Fred. Bourke was fantastic, cruel injury that took out of the game too soon. I still think that Ottens offered more around the ground, and was clearly a finals specialist. We didn't get to see Bourke in finals for more than a few minutes.

What's happened with Bourke's son?

I'm gutting out here, but I find it difficult to separate Newman, Mossop, Bourke and Ottens. The latter 3 were all outstanding tap ruckmen, but Newman was a little more versatile, playing very successfully at CHF.

 

[Stucky]

Bombing long was our game plan. Without Hawkins l thought this was a strange decision.

 

[Partridge]

Written proof of these "rules", thanks. Go on. You seem so certain these rules exist that Scotty MUST have put it in a statement somewhere.

Just on this, there is little doubt some players have been selected on very underwhelming performances and kept in despite not contributing a hell of a lot. Namely, Travis Varcoe and Nathan Vardy. James Kelly too.

Contrary to this, I can think of specifically George Horlin-Smith, Trent West, Mitch Brown, who are always in the best in the VFL - always - but are also always the first dropped for any less than perfect outing in the seniors.

Scott and everyone else can deny there's favouritism, but it's a staple at all footy clubs. It does exist.

 

[Partridge]

You never write us off but we have been amazing from 2007 - 2011 and that's a huge span to be a powerhouse and grab 3 Flags.
With other teams coming into their prime and us losing several once in a generation players we were right to take the Scott pitch of 2014/15. To be top 4 in 2013 is truly amazing.
If we have Dawson and a fit Hawkins who the f*** knows what might have happened on Saturday.
We are still alive and will regroup - this awesome lineup will give it their all on Friday and they deserve our support.
Keep the faith people , we will give it everything and even if we come up short of a Flag we are still Geelong - the greatest team of all

It's not as simple as that. Hawthorn lost Franklin Friday night against Sydney and they won with a leg in the air by 54 points. Likewise we haven't had Simpson since the St.Kilda game and we'd still only lost (before Saturday) one game before Saturday without him. And smashed Sydney without him too. There's way more to it I think.

 

[Partridge]

Chris Scott has been ordinary for 2 years now and is turning into a bit of a one trick pony like Scott.

He (or the Mc) have different rules for different players. Some get a million opportunities while others get basically none.
Lack of a tagger
Telling us centre clearances don't matter. One of the dumbest ploys ever
Running Hawkins into the ground this year to the point where he can't even jump or jog.

These are all horrible moves.

The first one is the most annoying. All footy clubs play favourites. Always have and always will. But it's pretty clear that guys like Vardy, Varcoe, Caddy and Walker are very much favoured by the match committee, and equally that Horlin-Smith, Brown, West, Kersten and (right now) Murdoch are not. Rivers in for Brown? Fair enough, he's got 10 years' experience, and he was solid on Saturday. But there's no justification for Vardy over West as a ruckman (different story if Vardy plays forward). There's no justification for Walker over Kersten as a forward. And right now, if reputations weren't what they are at footy clubs, there's very little justification for Kelly over Horlin-Smith. Or Caddy over Murdoch (in Caddy's case perceived reputation and reflected glow from coming from Gold Coast. How I don't know).

The lack of tagging is amazing. The goal that Sandilands handed to Barlow (think it was) at the Geelong end, what was just as appalling wasn't the ease of the hitout - there was no one on Barlow! And this is 25m out from our goal? What the feck were they doing? Shining their medals?

The Hawkins management has been one gigantic clusterfark. He's been injured all year long, since Round 1. It didn't occur to them at any time to rest him for 3-4 weeks? Blood Kersten and see how he goes? Unbelievably poor decision.

 

[Whit3y]

before the start of this season simpson had played 5 games, 5 friggen games!. to think he is the messiah is just plain stupid. we could have ottens as our ruckman and the cracks would still be there.

 

[kickazz]

I'm interested to see what adjustments to the game plan occur for next year.

Cap on rotations may mean less of a running game. I think this year we have relied too much on the running game and not enough on winning / halving contests. That's what the cats have been all about for so long.

We also kick too long and high into forward 50. Plenty of games this year where have scored a lot of behinds, most of these have been long bombs that dribble or get ruched through.

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

It's not as simple as that. Hawthorn lost Franklin Friday night against Sydney and they won with a leg in the air by 54 points. Likewise we haven't had Simpson since the St.Kilda game and we'd still only lost (before Saturday) one game before Saturday without him. And smashed Sydney without him too. There's way more to it I think.

Good points , in terms of covering gaps / plan B I think the age profile of our list works against us.
Hawks and Dockers have less reliance on their really young guys and their veterans ( Pav , 211 , Sewell , Mitchell, Lake etc) are making solid contributions.
Our veterans are on the wane , Kelly , Corey , Jimmy , Lonergan, Pods, JHunt, Chappy and we just don't have enough experienced guys in the 23 - 27 YO bracket to cover that drop off. Throw in Dawson and Hawkins injured and the straw / camels back syndrome comes into play.
Guys like Smedts, Shroeder and Murdoch will be players but lack consistency and I'm stuffed if I know why GHS isn't a regular.
Vardy has potential but is a long , long way off and Walker can't kick for goal so we should be grooming him as a defender.
Brown and Kersten are clearly very stiff , Brown in particular.

It's as if we put the rebuild on hold temporarily thinking we are a genuine chance which with Dawson and Hawkins fit we realistically could be.
We need to change it up against Port : West in , Vardy as a forward/ ruck and maybe drop Blicavs and bring in Kersten.
Down back I'd play Thurlow if fit on the HBF. One of Corey or Kelly to make way for GHS ?

 

[Partridge]

It's as if we put the rebuild on hold temporarily thinking we are a genuine chance which with Dawson and Hawkins fit we realistically could be.
We need to change it up against Port : West in , Vardy as a forward/ ruck and maybe drop Blicavs and bring in Kersten.
Down back I'd play Thurlow if fit on the HBF. One of Corey or Kelly to make way for GHS ?

My pick would be Kelly, and I wouldn't hesitate for a second before doing it. For this week too. But we all know it won't happen.

 

[Partridge]

for a do or die final you now want Lonergan, Kelly, Vardy and Corey out of the side to be replaced by GHS, Brown, West and ?

I understand Vardy for West but you say some stupid things. Did you also push hard for one of Walker or Kersten to play ahead of the injured Hawkins?

No, not all four. The first three yes. Yes I do. Brown for Lonergan (Taylor to full back), Kelly for Horlin-Smith (forget knocking on the door, he's knocked it down), and Vardy out for West. The blindness people have on here for Vardy ahead of West as a ruckman is almost religious in its fervour and complete ignorance of reality.

Yes I did push for Walker or Kersten ahead of Hawkins. You can't play an injured player. We found out Walker isn't up to it. So the options are injured star (Hawkins); fit lump of wood (Walker); or fit debutant (Kersten). I'll go for option three. It absolutely could be wrong, but we can't do the same thing and expect a different result. It's called insanity.

 

[swish05]

Most of the posts on this thread have stated that Chris Scott was clearly out coached.
I would be happy to argue against that. We were in front at ¼ time behind by 4 points at ½ time and behind by 5 points at ¾ time.
The facts are that we lost an arm wrestle, and as disappointing as it was to blame the coach is ridiculous.
To those suggesting that we should have stopped bombing the ball forward and instead hit up a target, show me the space in our forward 50 which would have allowed such a thing to happen.
It wasn’t as if our players were charging forward into an open 50 and then bombing the ball forward.
I think that both forward lines were pretty even with the defences doing a pretty good job. But like most finals games it is won and lost in the midfield and this is where we lost the arm wrestle.
With Selwood and Johnson blanketed we needed others to step up but it didn’t happen. Barlow beat Kelly hands down, Christensen and Stokes were ineffective, Corey and Duncan were probably just shaded by Hill and Fyfe.
I thought Vardy and Blicavs tried their best around the ground but just couldn’t win the hitout which is understandable considering the height/weight and experience difference.
Do you guys honestly think that our mids were not made aware by the coaches that it was more than likely we wouldn’t get first use of the ball and how best to counter that? Unfortunately they couldn’t achieve it.
We lost by three goals and if you cut the game apart it came down to the third ¼ and Fremantle’s ability to kick 3 easy goals from stoppages in the forward 50.
To say that Chris Scott was “clearly outcoached” is an overreaction and if the finger must be pointed at anyone how about we point it at those players who unfortunately played below the level that we have come to expect.