Chris Scott, the head coach of the Geelong Football Club, has waded into an ugly and growing suburban firestorm. This case involves non-compete player meetings occurring between competitor clubs. This issue gained traction following comments made by Craig McRae, the coach of Collingwood, regarding a meeting with Carlton’s Jack Silvagni. Scott highlighted the frequent player turnover that goes on in Australian Rules Football. In particular, he noted the importance of next spring’s free agency period.
The controversy started after McRae’s admission about opening talks with Silvagni, whose contract is up, hit the airwaves. Carlton’s coach Michael Voss was the fastest to take McRae’s method behind the woodshed. He interjected with the primary argument that it’s not one club’s responsibility to expose the player-to-player conversation repartee of another club. Scott clearly found himself in the middle of this dispute, siding more with Voss’s interpretation.
I’m a little bit more Team Voss on this one, Scott said. He continued to expand on how the player negotiations landscape has shifted and what that means for clubs to protect player privacy. He noted, “It’s not up to the prospective club to out that player knowing full well that the player’s got to walk back into the locker room and front, you know, his teammates especially and the coach in some parts.”
Scott understood that clubs need to be pragmatic. One, it’s foolish to assume that your players aren’t looking at options with competing clubs. He told a story about Ross Lyon, the current coach of St Kilda. Ross’s persistence paid off as he met with Tyson Stengle when he was out of contract. As Scott put it, once they’ve extended the invitation, it’s up to them to take up the invite. He asked them to get in touch with another club very shortly thereafter.
Scott addressed the ground truth and stressed that it’s crucial for players to do their homework ahead of time. As free agency loomed, he wanted to make sure they were ready. Then, he mused on the player experience of not knowing how to decide. Often when the trade or free agency window opens, they have “two weeks notice.” “That’s the reality of the situation. Most importantly, he said, it’s a point everyone in the footy industry has come to understand—players have a tremendous responsibility to inform yourself. That’s particularly critical with free agency looming.
Scott went on to share his opinion about the larger meaning of meetings like this one. Now, I don’t like that it occurred, but to be honest with you, I’m sort of happy it did,” he elaborated. He understood the fascination with these conversations, usually propped up by media and fans. What he has no taste for is the clubs actively encouraging those interactions to be a part of the culture.
On his own coaching staff, Scott made no secret about the top-tier talent on his staff. And I think that happens a little bit with staff too. We have a really exceptional group of assistant coaches. I have no doubt that if they want it, each of them will eventually be a head coach. Foster’s admiration for their capacities only emphasizes his conviction to build the best coaching ecosystem possible at Geelong.
