Opinion Chris Scott's coaching - PART III

[Gavin Excell]

Let's pretend Scott got sacked tonight.
Who'd take over?
Caretaker would obviously be Scarlett but is he senior coach material?
Who out there in assistant land would be an attractive option, or would we look to poach a current senior coach, and if so who?

Secondly, do we need to do what Bomber did when he started, clean out the veterans for picks and put trust in Wells to pick the eyes out of later picks or do we just need to tweak and change some personal/systems and continue with the current list?

Ratten

 

[cynical]

Let's pretend Scott got sacked tonight.
Who'd take over?
Caretaker would obviously be Scarlett but is he senior coach material?
Who out there in assistant land would be an attractive option, or would we look to poach a current senior coach, and if so who?

Secondly, do we need to do what Bomber did when he started, clean out the veterans for picks and put trust in Wells to pick the eyes out of later picks or do we just need to tweak and change some personal/systems and continue with the current list?

Doesn't matter who we get as a coach we need a clean out of players. It's not like we can turn it around any time soon.

Our top tier are too old to win a flag, our second tier group aren't good enough and our bottom tier/kids as a group dont have the talent.

We butchered our list by topping up instead of getting value from our older players so the only way to get back into contention is a long and painful rebuild.

A tweak isn't good enough, we have been tweaking since 2011.

 

[Frappe]

I've held fire for a long time, but this week was a microcosm of the season - and a ******* shitshow as a result.

Whatever the actual reasons are the club has comprehensively failed to utilise it's assets and is languishing as a result. I can only hope that that the torturous gut wrenching sickness of seeing the team in this state is amplified within and echoes around the metaphorical four walls of the club.

Once I get hold of a thesaurus or a dictionary, I will like your post.

 

[Landgraft]

Once I get hold of a thesaurus or a dictionary, I will like your post.

The team is ****ed from having one eye on finals all year without being prepared to work hard enough to actually justify being there

 

[Art Vandelay_]

With Parsons in the team? O'Connor? Unreliable rucks?

We can't ever play "our best" because every week we are hamstrung by either a bad selection, bad tactics or both.

We just got rolled by a Hawks team with their captain out, and their best player retired.

I am still waiting for the pro-Scott patrol to come in and defend that mess.

Why would you not take 2 rucks into a match? We haven't done it all year but the teams that capitalize on our terrible selections do. Started all the way back with WCE back earlier in the season.

Need to run with Smith and Abbott next week. Whoever isn't in the ruck goes deep forward. Too often we bombed to Hawk in 2 v 1s and we got lucky he marked everything.

But we won't. Because all season our selectors have gone the other way, and instead of having two rucks we have one and we roll the dice. And we end up with Henry and Blicavs v 2 genuine rucks. And we get the results like this just as we have all season.


How long does Scott have on his contract? Another 2 years of this? Oh joy.

O’Connor was alright today. I swear the people who moan about our bottom 6 weekly (who are then dropped), then moan about the new bottom 6 (who are then dropped) pay sweet **** all attention to the VFL side. Tell me who else was going to replace Bews? Zuthrie who all and sundry hate, yet all he needs is time in the VFL to build a frame...
Parsons was undoubtedly crap and I’d delist at season’s end. He replaced Jones who was awful last week. I could rattle off another couple in that role and they also play poorly.

It’s a revolving door of ineptitude from our bottom 6. The question is whether they’re talented footballers not being properly developed or substandard footballers performing to expectation. I think Enright and Mackie do work as our development coaches.

Your view on the ruck may be valid now, and I advocated Abbott staying in, however in the first half of the year it was not valid. Blicavs was rightly moved to defence. Smith was in ordinary form before the bye and Abbott had only just started to put good footy together.

As for the ‘best player’ tidbit. Hahahahahahaha Rioli was the most overrated crab the game has ever seen. Built a reputation producing very little.

Not much else Chris Scott could do today during the game, the players were just awful apart from a handful.

But the MC's selection decisions are really pissing me off; this team has had no stability for years and the inconsistent performances show it.

we need to get to the bottom of the repeated problems with skill errors. Pressured or otherwise.
May need to look to actively recruit footballers based on their skills.

 

[Vdubs]

Doesn't matter who we get as a coach we need a clean out of players. It's not like we can turn it around any time soon.

Our top tier are too old to win a flag, our second tier group aren't good enough and our bottom tier/kids as a group dont have the talent.

We butchered our list by topping up instead of getting value from our older players so the only way to get back into contention is a long and painful rebuild.

A tweak isn't good enough, we have been tweaking since 2011.

Accurate assessment.
But I think it was worth the trial of a tweak while we still had a skeleton of class.
What we've seen with Tigers and Hawks is a much more even spread of talent and output.
We raffle our bottom 12 around every week trying to get that right mix, but essentially we are being carried by our elite.
Every week, we reveal holes in our effort and output, hence the 3-5 changes each week, but that instability just doesn't help our cause.
Nevertheless, we are still competitive in every game.
I don't think it's necessarily a long term malaise- these kids getting games augurs well for their futures, and I think they'll be good players in 2 years.
But by then we'll be without Hawkins, Selwood, Taylor, GAJ at their best, if they are there at all.
Those who are disappointed about this year- fair enough- I personally thought we'd be lucky to go 11-11 this year, and we will actually probably exceed that.

 

[Chappycats]

Lost once again putting faith in players returning from injury with no back up plan and unreliable duds who haven’t even been beating the door down at vfl level.
I know Thurso wasn’t great last week but at least give him a couple of weeks to settle instead of the constant chopping and changing, Abbott was stiff even with Stanley back, and Cunico and Jones are far better than Parsons will ever be so at least persist with them.
And once again we let the hawks control the footy with no pressure until we are 5 goals down then we play a more direct, higher intense style game and finally start scoring.
Here’s a thought, why not play that style first, maybe we will break a team like hawthorn early instead of trying to come from behind.
And I thought they said they wanted to stop over possessing the ball, yet our outriders around the contest are still only a metre away. Simple fix, go to where you would normally go in the contest then take 4-5 steps back to provide a bit more spread. That way we might actually have some hope in clearing the congestion and get a less pressured possession away.
Also as has been pointed out on numerous occasions, our skill level for an afl side in atrocious, the amount of turnovers when the players aren’t under pressure is sub standard, and that in itself would be enough to have a for more wins this year!
But whilst Scott I cant see anything changing, it’s hasn’t for since 12 so why would he bother now!

 

[ATSAM]

Lost once again putting faith in players returning from injury with no back up plan and unreliable duds who haven’t even been beating the door down at vfl level.
I know Thurso wasn’t great last week but at least give him a couple of weeks to settle instead of the constant chopping and changing, Abbott was stiff even with Stanley back, and Cunico and Jones are far better than Parsons will ever be so at least persist with them.
And once again we let the hawks control the footy with no pressure until we are 5 goals down then we play a more direct, higher intense style game and finally start scoring.
Here’s a thought, why not play that style first, maybe we will break a team like hawthorn early instead of trying to come from behind.
And I thought they said they wanted to stop over possessing the ball, yet our outriders around the contest are still only a metre away. Simple fix, go to where you would normally go in the contest then take 4-5 steps back to provide a bit more spread. That way we might actually have some hope in clearing the congestion and get a less pressured possession away.
Also as has been pointed out on numerous occasions, our skill level for an afl side in atrocious, the amount of turnovers when the players aren’t under pressure is sub standard, and that in itself would be enough to have a for more wins this year!
But whilst Scott I cant see anything changing, it’s hasn’t for since 12 so why would he bother now!

Yes why play a dicey semi injured Stanley , why not give Thurlow another game, why not leave Jones in to build on his game last week. Lost at selection table. Who are the selection panel.
Lost with poor coaching from game plan through to skills development.

 

[And_ROOS]

O’Connor was alright today. I swear the people who moan about our bottom 6 weekly (who are then dropped), then moan about the new bottom 6 (who are then dropped) pay sweet **** all attention to the VFL side. Tell me who else was going to replace Bews? Zuthrie who all and sundry hate, yet all he needs is time in the VFL to build a frame...
Parsons was undoubtedly crap and I’d delist at season’s end. He replaced Jones who was awful last week. I could rattle off another couple in that role and they also play poorly.

It’s a revolving door of ineptitude from our bottom 6. The question is whether they’re talented footballers not being properly developed or substandard footballers performing to expectation. I think Enright and Mackie do work as our development coaches.

Your view on the ruck may be valid now, and I advocated Abbott staying in, however in the first half of the year it was not valid. Blicavs was rightly moved to defence. Smith was in ordinary form before the bye and Abbott had only just started to put good footy together.

As for the ‘best player’ tidbit. Hahahahahahaha Rioli was the most overrated crab the game has ever seen. Built a reputation producing very little.

we need to get to the bottom of the repeated problems with skill errors. Pressured or otherwise.
May need to look to actively recruit footballers based on their skills.

Abbott should have gotten a run mid season and word is Scott was the one that denied that request. Fact is Stanley isn't a good or reliable ruck and bringing him back a week after injury was a terrible idea. All week on Geelong threads on here and Facebook I've seen countless predictions that Stanley wouldn't last the match. If your average scrub pundit like me can see that, then you have to question the coach or MC. And right on cue, injured and leaves us with no ruck. Then the Hawks, with 2 rucks, get to beat on Henry.

That's bad coaching. Spin it anyway you want Henry should never be in the ruck and as the best young talent we have had pop up this season one day soon a ruckman is going to drill him hard.

We need to recruit a proper ruckman. Stanley and Smith both need to go at seasons end.

O'Connor took one good mark. Had countless scrub disposals and got tackled from behind by an average key forward because he has no awareness.

This season the arm chair coaches have been better and smarter than our actual coaches, which tells me it's time for Scott to go.

Half of the complaints people have now about our team, the structures and selections have been going on since round 2. And still not rectified? We didn't learn having Zuthrie in round 2 v Hawks and we didn't learn having Parsons in today.
Do you honestly think Thurlow or GHS or Abbott would have had a worse output than Parsons did today? Not. A. Chance.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Abbott should have gotten a run mid season and word is Scott was the one that denied that request. Fact is Stanley isn't a good or reliable ruck and bringing him back a week after injury was a terrible idea. All week on Geelong threads on here and Facebook I've seen countless predictions that Stanley wouldn't last the match. If your average scrub pundit like me can see that, then you have to question the coach or MC. And right on cue, injured and leaves us with no ruck. Then the Hawks, with 2 rucks, get to beat on Henry.

That's bad coaching. Spin it anyway you want Henry should never be in the ruck and as the best young talent we have had pop up this season one day soon a ruckman is going to drill him hard.

Missed the part where I said I’d have kept him in? Spin? Where?
We need a full time ruck coach but apparently not enough cash left in the footy dept spending cap. It needs to change though. Shattered we missed Dean Cox. Mids and ruck coach in one.

O'Connor took one good mark. Had countless scrub disposals and got tackled from behind by an average key forward because he has no awareness.

Ok cool. That rebutts the argument against the revolving door of players giving us little how? It was him or Zuthrie. Both have attributes that make them worth persisting with, but clearly need time.

This season the arm chair coaches have been better and smarter than our actual coaches, which tells me it's time for Scott to go.

Half of the complaints people have now about our team, the structures and selections have been going on since round 2. And still not rectified? We didn't learn having Zuthrie in round 2 v Hawks and we didn't learn having Parsons in today.
Do you honestly think Thurlow or GHS or Abbott would have had a worse output than Parsons did today? Not. A. Chance.

Well now we’re being silly. Everyone would go at it harder than Parsons, doesn’t mean they’d play well.

GHS and Thurlow should be off the list at years end. George needs opportunities and Thurlow won’t make it.

But this is what I’m saying. What you’ve said about Parsons and O’Connor also applies to 6-8 others that rotate in and out of the side. Until they contribute we’ll continue to win/lose based off whether the stars stand up.

We need to figure out if the assistants aren’t developing our players well enough and need replacing or they’re not good enough and need to be cut.

Changing the coach is just window dressing until we address the issues with our list of footballers

 

[Mr Blicavs]

Are Chris Scott and James parson in a domestic relationship.

 

[Two Planks]

I would sack Chris Scott and replace him with Blake Caracella

 

[RegHickeyStand]

I wished we persevered with H-S. I used to look at Murdoch getting selected every week, and I wondered why.

 

[cynical]

Abbott should have gotten a run mid season and word is Scott was the one that denied that request. Fact is Stanley isn't a good or reliable ruck and bringing him back a week after injury was a terrible idea. All week on Geelong threads on here and Facebook I've seen countless predictions that Stanley wouldn't last the match. If your average scrub pundit like me can see that, then you have to question the coach or MC. And right on cue, injured and leaves us with no ruck. Then the Hawks, with 2 rucks, get to beat on Henry

Think our 3 rucks will stay on the list just because we lack depth.

Agree that Abbott should have got a run mid season, the selections all year have just been baffling.

Should have started the year with the older guys and gradually introduced the kids. Once we were deemed non-contenders then guys like Abbott should have got a run.

At this stage of the year you want consistent structures and not make too many changes. No reason to drop superior players in Thurlow and Cunico for Parsons and O'Connor.

Why even drop Abbott if we are bringing in 2 weak players, Henry isnt a ruck and Abbott showed enough form to be trialed forward at least. If Stanley was under an injury cloud why risk him? we aren't taking the game seriously by playing Parsons and O'Connor.

The club has no clear direction.

Just play whoever Chris Scott likes for the week in whatever position he wants to play them.

 

[Whit3y]

Thurlow should be off the list at years end. George needs opportunities and Thurlow won’t make it./

Damn not our round 1 pick 16 in 2012

No wonder we lack depth

 

[Micksy]

I would sack Chris Scott and replace him with Blake Caracella

Caracella sounds good.

Hell, I'd take Trout from Woodend at this stage.

 

[Stocks_go_Up]

I've said enough over the years.. Sad for the club it has refused to look at reality. Hopefully those here who were also in that camp can finally see what I have been talking about repeatedly.

 

[Vdubs]

Think our 3 rucks will stay on the list just because we lack depth.

Agree that Abbott should have got a run mid season, the selections all year have just been baffling.

Should have started the year with the older guys and gradually introduced the kids. Once we were deemed non-contenders then guys like Abbott should have got a run.

At this stage of the year you want consistent structures and not make too many changes. No reason to drop superior players in Thurlow and Cunico for Parsons and O'Connor.

Why even drop Abbott if we are bringing in 2 weak players, Henry isnt a ruck and Abbott showed enough form to be trialed forward at least. If Stanley was under an injury cloud why risk him? we aren't taking the game seriously by playing Parsons and O'Connor.

The club has no clear direction.

Just play whoever Chris Scott likes for the week in whatever position he wants to play them.

We will not see Stanley again this year. Recurrent calves are a curse.
So finally Smith / Abbott is all we have now.
Maybe playing Parsons, MO'C this week was the final pressure test for 2018 to see if they are up to it. And they might not be. We have plenty of other bottom 12 players to select, as we have been doing all year. They have their reasons for selecting certain players for certain games.
Why these 2 keep getting mentioned as if they are the reason we lost is interesting; no mention of all the skill errors from those who we have come to rely on.
GAJ is still our best player but he simply can't do it every week. We have nearly got more out of him this year than GC did for 2017/2016 combined.
You know they do have a direction. They are always thinking not only of next week, but 2-3-4 weeks ahead.We don't have the luxury of resting GAJ or Selwood. But getting as many games into our bottom 12 over the next 2 seasons is important for their development.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Damn not our round 1 pick 16 in 2012

No wonder we lack depth

Freshen up the banter broheim

 

[avergejohn]

Ratten

Throw the kitchen sink at sam mitchell!!!

 

[Vdubs]

I've said enough over the years.. Sad for the club it has refused to look at reality. Hopefully those here who were also in that camp can finally see what I have been talking about repeatedly.

JFI, who did you select this week?
Way too many here disrespect Hawthorn.
Remind me where we were on the ladder coming into this game...
Hawks are simply a better TEAM than we are. We have some great top end talent- they have better talent all over the park.
Gunston, Breust, Puopolo, Stratton, Hardwick, Mitchell, Shiels, O'Meara, Smith, Burton, Frawley, Burgoyne, (Roughead, McEvoy), Impey- could easily form the nucleus of a premiership team

 

[cynical]

We will not see Stanley again this year. Recurrent calves are a curse.
So finally Smith / Abbott is all we have now.
Maybe playing Parsons, MO'C this week was the final pressure test for 2018 to see if they are up to it. And they might not be. We have plenty of other bottom 12 players to select, as we have been doing all year. They have their reasons for selecting certain players for certain games.
Why these 2 keep getting mentioned as if they are the reason we lost is interesting; no mention of all the skill errors from those who we have come to rely on.
GAJ is still our best player but he simply can't do it every week. We have nearly got more out of him this year than GC did for 2017/2016 combined.
You know they do have a direction. They are always thinking not only of next week, but 2-3-4 weeks ahead.We don't have the luxury of resting GAJ or Selwood. But getting as many games into our bottom 12 over the next 2 seasons is important for their development.

It doesn't matter why we lost.

There is a simple question that needs to be answered before selection. Are we trying to play finals or are we rebuilding(developing players)?

It is either one or the other.

If its we want to play finals then there is no place for O'Connor or Parsons.
If its to develop players then why not play Abbott? why not give Miers or Constable a go?

 

[And_ROOS]

Missed the part where I said I’d have kept him in? Spin? Where?
We need a full time ruck coach but apparently not enough cash left in the footy dept spending cap. It needs to change though. Shattered we missed Dean Cox. Mids and ruck coach in one.

Never specifically said you were the one posting the Pro Scott spin, but plenty on here and FB have drank the Scott kool aid...

Ok cool. That rebutts the argument against the revolving door of players giving us little how? It was him or Zuthrie. Both have attributes that make them worth persisting with, but clearly need time.

You can't genuinely believe they would offer more than Thurlow, who despite being average last week, wouldn't have been as disastrous as Zuthrie or as meh as O'Connor.

Well now we’re being silly. Everyone would go at it harder than Parsons, doesn’t mean they’d play well.

GHS and Thurlow should be off the list at years end. George needs opportunities and Thurlow won’t make it.

But this is what I’m saying. What you’ve said about Parsons and O’Connor also applies to 6-8 others that rotate in and out of the side. Until they contribute we’ll continue to win/lose based off whether the stars stand up.

We need to figure out if the assistants aren’t developing our players well enough and need replacing or they’re not good enough and need to be cut.

Changing the coach is just window dressing until we address the issues with our list of footballers

Basically you look at our VFL, were there guys there who would have done better today than Parsons, O'Connor etc. Yes.

What Stanley said before his good form was correct. Give them games in a row because consistency breeds confidence. Thurlow, Abbott, dropped. Should have gotten 3 games to show what they can. Instead they rush back Stanley and didn't even consider the fact Stanley could relapse, and Thurlow gets one match and drops for O'Connor, who is barely VFL level let alone AFL level at this point.

In games V Hawks and Richmond you can't have passengers. Parsons has, is and forever will be a passenger and as a result in high pressure matches like today at best he doesn't **** anything up and is anonymous, at worse he misses an easy shot at goal.

 

[The_Todd07]

Throw the kitchen sink at sam mitchell!!!

We could do a lot worse than having him as midfield coach next year
Few years apprenticeship away from a top job and I have the feeling Clarkson has already earmarked him as his successor

 

[Vdubs]

It doesn't matter why we lost.

There is a simple question that needs to be answered before selection. Are we trying to play finals or are we rebuilding(developing players)?

It is either one or the other.

If its we want to play finals then there is no place for O'Connor or Parsons.
If its to develop players then why not play Abbott? why not give Miers or Constable a go?

I really think CS does not believe losing today is the be all- end all like some of us here do. He said as much on Monday. He sad we go in with methods to win this week, and if we don't, we try again for the next 2 games.
We get the "luxury' of 2 home games against teams that are worse off than we are, so a theoretical chance of 13 wins, all the while crossing off players for this year. Maybe that was the final test for Parsons and O'Connor, and we know that'll be it for Stanley 2018. 3 down. Bit by bit, we're formulating a best 22, so that if we make top 8, get a week off, we'll be in some position to play a decent final.
Buzza, Parsons, MOC, Fogarty, ZGuthrie, Abbott, Narkle, JJ should all be around next year to improve. They'll have to.