North young gun Bailey Scott becomes first Rising Star nominee of 2019

He’s already been labelled the steal of last year’s draft but, when it was time to make the tough call to join either North Melbourne, Geelong or Gold Coast, Bailey Scott was thinking well beyond his football career.

Bailey Scott’s stunning debut for the Roos has netted him the first Rising Star nomination of the season. Picture: Getty Images

He’s already been labelled the steal of last year’s draft.

But when it was time to make the tough call to join either North Melbourne or Geelong under the father-son rule, or Gold Coast as part of its academy access late last year, Bailey Scott was thinking well beyond his football career.

The Kangaroos’ gun ball-winner shined on debut racking up two goals and 21 possessions against Fremantle on Sunday to claim the Round 1 Rising Star nomination.

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Bailey Scott’s stunning debut for the Roos has netted him the first Rising Star nomination of the season. Picture: Getty Images

But the son of former Roos’ and Geelong forward Robert Scott is not only a jet midfielder-forward, he’s a smart cookie off the field, too.

And when the time came to make the big decision on a club, what swayed him to select the Roos was the appeal of being able to complete his engineering and architecture degree at a university in Melbourne.

“It took a bit of time to process it all and there were a number of factors which had to be considered,” Scott said.

“But in the end I made it based on my education.

“Due to it being such a close decision between all three clubs, I felt Melbourne offered the best variety in terms of universities and that’s my passion off the field.

“Melbourne University I felt was the one that best suited my passion and allowed for the transition in terms of the move and the study.”

Scott’s ball use was impeccable on his debut. Picture: AAP

To be fair to the Roos recruiting staff, they have been keeping tabs on him for years and watched him shine as captain of the Allies under-18 team last season.

The Roos even gave Scott a highlights reel of his old man in action, who retired the year Bailey was born in 2000.

Late last year, the 186cm goal kicker moved down from the Gold Coast, and away from his family, to live in Melbourne where he has made an immediate impact at the Roos.

In the bright orange boots, the man taken with pick No. 49 shone on the wing and half forward with his cleanness, toughness and running power, albeit in a drubbing from the Dockers in Perth.

No wonder Melbourne great Gerard Healy believed he would be one of the best pick-ups in last year’s draft.

The Roos mobbed Scott after he kicked a goal on debut. Picture: Getty Images

Scott’s disposal efficiency in his first match at the top level was 90 per cent.

Scott said while it was nice to receive the nomination after his first AFL game, it was disappointing to go down by 82 points.

“It’s good to be recognised like that but certainly on the day I wasn’t really thinking about my own individual performance,” he said.

“I was more disappointed as all the boys were with how the game went, because it wasn’t how we had been preparing or training through the preseason.

“I don’t think it was a fair representation of what we can do as a football team.”

Originally published as North young gun Bailey Scott becomes first Rising Star nominee of 2019