North Melbourne coach Brad Scott needs to be harder on players if club is to take next step in premiership pursuit

IS North Melbourne coach Brad Scott tough enough on his players and can the club take the next step under the current leadership, asks Mark Robinson.

Paid Content Staff Dinkus. HWT staff. Headshot. Mark Robinson

MICHAEL Voss told a story about Brad Scott, about when they played together at Brisbane.

It revolved around Jason Akermanis.

Aker was being Aker on the field, a little impish, a little mouthy and, for whatever reason, his behaviour became a topic during a team meeting.

Some teammates didn’t like it. They wanted Aker to shut up and play football and not be a distraction.

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The discussion was to-ing and fro-ing, and then Scott spoke up.

He said something like: “I don’t care about what Aker’s saying. He’s my teammate and while he’s my teammate he’s got my 100 per cent support.’’

The Voss story was part of a wider discussion about Scott’s coaching, about whether he was tough enough on his players, about whether, after yet another defeat when they were expected to win, Scott was too supportive of the players.

The commentary began with the players themselves.

Todd Goldstein: “I think the coach has become a lot harder this year, especially the back end of this year so far. I don’t think he should’ve gone harder, but maybe made a few more examples of certain efforts and players at times that haven’t been acceptable.”

Brent Harvey: “If I had one criticism of Brad, and I don’t even know if it’s a criticism, he could’ve been a little bit harder early on. He probably nurtured some players six months too long. But he’s much harder this year.’’

Here’s the question: Is Scott tough enough?

Which leads to another question: Is North Melbourne ruthless enough as a club? Skipper Andrew Swallow asks the same questions in an interview with Jay Clark on Page 80 of today’s Herald Sun.

It’s an amazing query of the coach, for if you remember Scott the player, he was a ruthless, in-your-face competitor, so much so that he and his brother Chris were labelled the Kray Brothers by commentator Mike Sheahan.

Scott can coach and despite criticism levelled at him for not being active enough in the coach’s box, this season he has overseen incredible victories over Port Adelaide, Sydney, Fremantle and Hawthorn.

The Roos play Geelong — coached by his brother — tonight.

The problem is Scott has also lost to Carlton, Gold Coast and Brisbane Lions.

Harvey said this week the team got too complacent against lower-ranked teams, was too lazy, and that clearly is an issue for the players — and the coach.

North Melbourne is sixth with a 10-7 win-loss record.

Its season is on the cusp. The Roos play the Cats, Greater Western Sydney, the Western Bulldogs, Adelaide and Melbourne.

They should win two, the other three are up for grabs. But what happens if it goes pear-shaped?

President James Brayshaw is a huge Scott fan. Brayshaw recently refuted claims Scott wasn’t hard enough on the players and, at every opportunity, Brayshaw lavishes the coach with praise.

“I think Brad Scott’s elite and I have enormous admiration for him. I think he is and he’s going to be a terrific senior coach for our club, so I have no problems there,’’ Brayshaw told 3AW.

No, he’s not elite. He’s a fourth-year coach, a coach who can’t get his team to play consistently from week to week. He’s a good coach, and will get better, but he’s far from elite.

Brayshaw is demanding of the players, and he made that public last week, but you have to wonder if he’s also demanding of the coach and the coaching staff.

Perhaps internally he is, but what most of us see and hear of Brayshaw is the laid-back and fun-loving media celebrity.

It’s not a criticism. He is what he is. He loves the club, but does he give it tough love?

Winning football matches is a club thing. It’s not just about the players and coach, it’s about the football department, the board and the president. It’s about being hungry and honest and brutal.

Jeff Kennett might be eccentric, but he was ruthless in his demands of Alastair Clarkson, who was ruthless in his demands of the payers.

Fremantle was stunningly ruthless.

It sacked Mark Harvey for Ross Lyon, and Lyon has the same ruthless attitude towards his players. The Swans are ruthless in their recruiting. Geelong is ruthless in its demands for excellence.

I’m not advocating “doing a Mark Harvey’’ to Scott right now but, sooner or later, if North Melbourne players continue to be selective with their attitude, the question will be asked of Scott.

Is he ruthless enough? The same of Brayshaw: Is he ruthless enough as a president? In fact, is the North Melbourne Football Club ruthless enough — on and off the field.

The answer right now is no.

Originally published as North Melbourne coach Brad Scott needs to be harder on players if club is to take next step in premiership pursuit