Scott to let rules stand
NEW AFL football boss Brad Scott does not plan to have a dramatic intervention on the rules in his role in the league’s revamped team.
The AFL on Thursday announced legal chief Andrew Dillon would be the executive general manager of football, with Scott reporting to him on a portfolio including rules, umpiring and match review.
Scott was linked to Carlton’s vacant coaching position but made clear he never had “discussions” with the Blues.
He said one of his tasks would be to talk to the long list of former AFL coaches not prepared to re-enter the game given the immense demands on senior coaches.
His brother and Geelong coach Chris Scott said last year senior coaching was “not a very good job”, while Sydney’s John Longmire has urged the AFL to take seriously Don Pyke’s warning about the toll on coaches, after stepping down at Adelaide in 2019.
Fans will be anxiously awaiting Scott’s impact on rules. Outgoing footy boss Hocking had said he would have reduced interchange rotations again in 2022.
But Scott’s opening salvo will please traditionalists, suggesting recent changes such as the “stand” rule and reduced interchange needed time to take effect.
“Steve Hocking is going to leave a lasting legacy to the game,” Scott said.
“I think the game looks fantastic. Everyone would agree the standard of footy this year has been exceptional and my view is Steve Hocking has done a lot of the heavy lifting.
“He has instituted a lot of change, which probably needs some time to be consolidated before we look at further tweaks.
“There is a constant watch on the way the game looks and how we want to present the game. It has to be enjoyable to watch, it has to be engaging, and I am probably more aware than most the clubs have got a responsibility primarily to win.
“We have got to strike the balance between understanding what clubs and coaches want but also the responsibility to the game and what it looks like.”
Scott said he had missed coaching more than he expected after moving on from North
Melbourne, but wanted to become an AFL administrator.
On the Carlton job, he said: “We are all grown up enough to understand football clubs will cast the net far and wide but, no, we never got to the point where we had discussions.”
Scott said he would ensure he spoke coaches, including Ross Lyon and Pyke, who had declined senior coaching opportunities for various reasons including the scrutiny, hours and stress.
“If we look at the last probably two or three years, there are a lot of coaches who have had opportunities to step back into the coaching landscape and have chosen not to,” he said. “I would like to speak to all those coaches as to why.
“That is not an environment we want to create, and a big part of this role will be talking to those 18 senior coaches about the challenges they face. AFL footy is an incredibly rewarding business to be in, but for those coaches it’s a thankless task at times and our role is to support them.”
He is open to considering a mid-season trade period if the 18 clubs are keen.