‘Chris Scott would never do that’: Demons’ baffling tactics called out after record Cats landslide

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has been quizzed over his decision to give Geelong “what they want from the start” on Friday night.

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has been questioned over his decision to give Geelong “what they want right from the start” on Friday night, as his side slumped to their worst start to a season in 13 years.

Amid the topsy-turvy game that ultimately swung the way of the hosts, Chris Scott’s side accumulated 148 uncontested marks — the largest total on record in the club’s history.

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The sheer number of marks the Demons conceded is even more incredible given that the game was played at GMHBA Stadium; a ground that is considerably more narrow than other grounds across the league and often restricts a team’s ability to spread laterally.

Fronting the media after the 39-point loss, Goodwin was more critical of his side’s ball use than the eye-watering number of marks that the Cats racked up at Kardinia Park.

“We spoke about it at times, and about what types of marks we wanted to take away. They’re certainly a team that can shift the ball, but they’re also a very powerful, go-forward team with speed,” Goodwin told reporters.

“It was probably a bit more about us with the ball, our ability to shift the ball at times off turnover … we probably just didn’t use the ball as well as we could’ve.”

“We came here to obviously take parts of Geelong’s game away, but a big part of it was to get set around the ball.

“They’re a pretty good team Geelong, and we were in it right until three-quarter time… but we’re not here to just get better, we’re here to start taking some really good results for our footy club. That’s what we’ll be looking to do.”

The deployment of Demons on-baller Tommy Sparrow to Geelong’s Max Holmes looked to have created a larger-than-planned chain reaction behind the ball, which snowballed into the home side holding all the power with ball in hand as Dees ruck Max Gawn attempted to kick a kick behind the play in hope of intercepting aerially.

The kick-mark, kick-mark style of football “wasn’t a great exhibition of footy” in the words of former Collingwood coach and club legend Nathan Buckley, but was evidently a game plan decided on before the first bounce.

“Geelong obviously went in with a control focus, and were happy to kick the ball around and force the Demons into defence for a large part of the game,” Buckley told Fox Footy post-match.

“(They) have always been a team that loves their outnumber, Tom Stewart as a plus one or back in the day Harry Taylor.”

Four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis added: “That was what they were given (by the Demons) … they just took what Melbourne were able to give them... they are record numbers.”

“Historically, it’s been the way to play Geelong - 6v6v6, and ask them to generate a spare through their wings, or even a midfielder dropping back. That was an interesting tactical move at the start for me, just (giving) them what they want right from the start.”

Three of the biggest beneficiaries of the ultra-uncontested game style were Zach Guthrie, Lawson Humphries and Connor O’Sullivan, who combined for 40 uncontested marks between them to keep the back half on their terms.

Naturally, the Cats’ mark count resulted in a skewed disposal count also in their favour, but it surprisingly didn’t prevent Melbourne from registering more inside 50s.

Three-time premiership Lion Jonathan Brown was adamant that had Chris Scott been tasked with an opposition coach using the same line of tactics of him, the end result would never have been this high.

Simon Goodwin has come under fire. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“Chris Scott would never do that, Chris Scott wouldn’t allow to give the opposition one of their great strengths,” Brown told the Fox Footy panel.

“You play what’s in front of you … you’re not going to belt it down the line (with Gawn back loose), you’re going to go: ‘Let’s make the most of it’,” Melbourne great Garry Lyon added.

Geelong’s tally of 148 uncontested marks on Friday night more than doubled their average across the last fortnight against St Kilda and Brisbane of 68.

Melbourne will now head to Gather Round under the ultimate pressure, tasked with Essendon next Saturday night at Adelaide Oval with the sole intention of etching their first home-and-away win on the board for 2025. Geelong will play visitors to Adelaide in a Thursday night blockbuster at the same venue.

Originally published as ‘Chris Scott would never do that’: Demons’ baffling tactics called out after record Cats landslide