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Opinion
There can now, finally, be no mistake. Chris Scott is one of the greatest coaches of all time.
It’s only because of the absurd premiership binary that this wasn’t already recognised.
Admittedly, given he only had one premiership to his name until now, there was a question mark of his ability to close the deal. However, the level of scorn directed at Scott over the years has become, frankly, ridiculous.
So, let’s take a look at the facts. Of all the coaches in the history of the AFL/VFL to coach more than 100 games, he has the highest winning percentage, by a distance. This despite his team playing well under half of their games at home. He has won 200 games as coach, 13 of which were finals.
Now, I know what will happen. People don’t like to be wrong, and even in the face of incontrovertible evidence, they will find a way to defend even the most absurd of beliefs. So, I’ll try to anticipate some criticisms, and even offer a couple of olive branches.
“But his finals record”, I hear you say.
He was 7-15 in finals between 2012 and 2021. Yes, it’s amazing what selective evidence can do. Admittedly, if you don’t count the two premierships he’s won, he’s won no premierships. In fact if you take out the 200 wins and two draws, he’s actually on an 85-game losing streak.
Then comes the most tired and ridiculous criticism: “but 2011 was Mark Thompson’s flag” they all say. That was Bomber’s team.
I’ve always found this a strange criticism. Halfway through the third quarter of Bomber’s last game as Geelong coach – the 2010 prelim against Collingwood – the Cats were 81 points behind, the same margin as the 2022 Grand Final. I’m not sure there was a person on the planet who thought Geelong were going to win the 2011 premiership at that point.
As it turned out, Collingwood got even better that year. Their record against all teams in the league except Geelong was 22-0, with a percentage in the 180s. Statistically, that made them the best team of all time.
Given how stale then handball-heavy style of 2010 had become, and how listless that team was at the end of Bomber’s reign, giving him the plaudits for 2011 is a as embarrassing as it is ridiculous. Scott masterminded a 3-0 record against that dominant Collingwood team. And he gets zero credit for it.
(Photo by Graham Denholm/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
It’s also funny how the 2012 team wasn’t Bomber’s. No, that year is firmly ensconced in the Scott embarrassing finals record era. Whatever suits, I guess.
Then there’s the game-style critique. “The possession game doesn’t hold up in finals”, they say.
Perhaps a fairer criticism. For a number of years now Geelong have struggled to contain ultra-aggressive teams early in finals, and it has stood in the way of going taking that final step.
But they adjusted. They added hard-running wingers and small forwards. They became more brutal, and more able to handle pressure. All that strength and experience eventually rose to the top.
Where I take issue, though, is that way this is used to invalidate 12 years of consistent excellence. Winning mountains of games makes no difference for those who understand that all that matters are premierships, or more specifically, Grand Finals.
Admittedly, most of these criticisms come from Geelong fans themselves, but for those outside that universe, what a horrible day they must’ve had? The one day that matters was the one day their long-standing views got shattered.
But don’t worry, I know you’re all still there. Because you won’t be proven wrong in your minds, even though you are. The kind of people who haven’t heard of Gary Rohan, but know he disappears in finals. The kind of people who know Geelong can’t win after the bye, or win finals, or at the MCG, or finals at the MCG.
Yes, every single one of those things has been annihilated, but you’ll all be back. Next year, or maybe after that.
You’ll say it. Whenever it is Geelong finally fall down the ladder. I can picture it. Geelong lose a Round 10 game, to go 3-7, and you’ll all come back out of the woodwork and say, “See! I told you he couldn’t coach!”
And you’ll all be wrong. After all, I thought home-and-away games meant nothing?
And for a parting shot, to all of the you people who mock Scott’s faith in older players: that was the oldest team to ever take the field in any AFL/VFL match. And they obliterated the second best team in the league on Grand Final day.
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