Scott spurns Coast for a Roos rebuild
BRAD Scott says North Melbourne won’t shy away from bold team decisions on players as the club considers ruckman Todd Goldstein’s future.
Scott yesterday signed a two-year extension to coach through to the end 2020 after a sub-committee decided he was the man to finish the club’s rebuild.
He confirmed there had been rival interest in recent weeks, with Gold Coast understood to have contacted his management to gauge his interest.
But North chairman Ben Buckley said there was no doubt Scott was up for the challenge, hopeful the club will be “competing in the finals in the next 3-5 year period”.
Goldstein is contracted for 2018 but with young ruckman Braydon Preuss his heir apparent has an uncertain future.
The club has delisted Lachie Hansen and has Jarrad Waite, Sam Gibson, Aaron Mullett and Scott Thompson in limbo while it awaits decisions from Josh Kelly and Dustin Martin.
Scott yesterday could not guarantee Goldstein’s future, adamant the club would puts its list build first.
“It is really unfair to individualise. But every club would sit back and analyse what is best for the club,’’ he said.
“There are some really tough decisions you have got to make on individuals and we have a very strong philosophy that we are club-first.
“And what is best for the club is not necessarily what is best for the individual.
“We will look at all those options and do what is best for North Melbourne.”
Scott said yesterday he had always been keen to remain despite admitting he would do what was best for the club if they decided to go in another direction. Fairfax Media reported his future was tied to the club’s ability to lure a big fish and at one stage reported he would leave for Collingwood.
He said yesterday of that speculation: “People have lots of opinions but that couldn’t be further from the truth”.
North Melbourne has pick four in the national draft and Scott said the club had fallback positions if it missed out on its priority targets.
“The uncompromised draft is something that is enticing to us,’’ he said.
“We haven’t access to the early picks we would have liked, we are looking forward to building a lit with some genuine top end talent.”
The Roos clearly considered the difficulty of one coach rebuilding a side for a second time, with Scott now eight years into his tenure.
But Buckley said yesterday the subcommittee was in no doubt Scott was capable, with captain Jack Ziebell resounding in his message that Scott was the man.
“Brad is an infinitely better coach than when he first came to the club. I am of the personal belief time is not really the issue,” he said.
“It’s about the quality of the individual.
“Brad’s experience counts for a lot.”