Geelong Cats coach Chris Scott addresses ‘epic’ goal celebration

Chris Scott says he was glad to have been wearing a mask when Gary Rohan kicked a goal after the siren to win it for Geelong on Friday.

Chris Scott was elated with Rohan's effort.

Cats coach Chris Scott has addressed his “epic” celebration after Geelong forward Gary Rohan won Friday night’s game with a goal after the siren.

Like most of the Cats faithful around the country, Scott — masked up in compliance with the league’s Covid protocols — was seen jumping for joy after Rohan won the match for Geelong.

“I was only really looking at it through half of one eye. I got a bit excited,” Scott said.

“I’m glad I had a mask on because no one needed to read my lips in that moment.”

The premiership-winning coach insisted he didn’t want the ball in anyone else’s hands other than Gary Rohan’s for Geelong’s dramatic after-the-siren shot on goal to sink the Bulldogs.

“I genuinely believe it, not only in our team but across the competition, I’ve thought that for a long period of time,” Scott said post-match.

“In terms of standing up in big moments and backing the routine and wanting that situation, I can’t think of many better.”

Such was the tight nature of the contest, with the margin failing to exceed 11 points either way all game and 13 lead changes occurring, as well as eight instances of level scores, Scott admitted there was a stage late in the game where he would have accepted a draw as the eventual result.

The player who was most critical to the Cats’ victory was defender Tom Stewart who, according to Scott, played “one of the best games I’ve seen a half-back flanker play, and I’ve seen a few.”

“I thought he was just peerless, really, in the way he played … how he wasn’t the best player on the ground by a mile, I don’t know.”

I’m just here for the Chris Scott reaction gifs. Epic. #AFLCatsDogs

— Lauren Wood (@LaurenHeraldSun) June 18, 2021

You have to love the passion from Chris Scott. #AFLCatsDogs

— Alex Fair (@AJFair85) June 18, 2021

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge praised his team’s effort to get so close to beating the Cats on their home ground, especially with all the uncertainty surrounding the team’s upcoming itinerary.

The Dogs were planning to travel to Sydney this week ahead of their clash with West Coast in Perth next round, but due to the new Covid breakout in the Harbour City, they may have to go directly to WA and undergo much stricter quarantine conditions.

“The boys were enormous all night and obviously, there is a lot of emotion with a narrow loss like that after the siren,” Beveridge said.

“There’s a lot going on behind the scenes at the moment … (it’s) not a normal set of circumstances.

“The AFL are going to (probably) want us to be under tight restrictions somewhere to play the West Coast Eagles, that compared to having a few days off and refreshing is pretty extreme.

“The problem is now that all the borders are closing to each other with the cases Australia-wide so we’re in a bit of a bind.”

Rohan broke the Dogs’ hearts on Friday night. Pic: Michael Klein

The Cats are due to face the Lions in Brisbane next round, but Scott revealed his side wouldn’t have to fly in and fly out, and would be able to spend a couple of days in the Queensland capital as they are from regional Victoria.

Scott expected Tom Hawkins to be right to face the Lions, despite leaving the ground late in the game with what seemed like a pinched nerve in his neck, and the Geelong coach was optimistic about Mitch Duncan’s chances of playing too after he was subbed out in the first quarter due to a knee injury.

Defender Lachie Henderson (hip) was a late withdrawal, but Scott was confident he would return to the line-up next round.

Scott admitted he didn’t want to play substitute Shaun Higgins at all against the Bulldogs, after the veteran was initially left out of the side due to being ‘managed’, but his hand was forced when Duncan got hurt early and the former Kangaroo will now get his planned rest later in the season.

The Geelong coach wouldn’t disclose why another emergency wasn’t used as the sub instead of Higgins, other than to say “a lot of thought went into it”, and that it was the right decision.

Beveridge hailed the performances of defenders Alex Keath and Ryan Gardner, who kept Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron quiet respectively, and agreed that a good way to look at the heartbreaking result for the Bulldogs was to treat it as a finals dress rehearsal for later in the year.

“To learn from the possibilities and grow from them is a way we’re looking at it, and the optimism that next time we might get them,” he said.

Originally published as Geelong Cats coach Chris Scott addresses ‘epic’ goal celebration