Chris Scott has no problem with clubs talking to rival players
Geelong coach Chris Scott says it’s time for the “old timers” to catch up with modern recruiting after Eagles captain Oscar Allen was criticised for meeting with a rival coach.
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Geelong coach Chris Scott has doubled down on his belief he has no concerns with players meeting with rival clubs and coaches, saying critics should “grow up”.
Speaking on Thursday, Scott was alerted to the news Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell had met with West Coast Eagles co-captain Oscar Allen recently for a coffee.
Allen has since expressed remorse for doing so, at a Thursday press conference in Perth, saying he felt “embarrassed and ashamed”.
However, when asked when if he thought Allen meeting Mitchell was a bad look, Scott said the people who generally complained about those situations didn’t understand the modern footy world, calling them “old timers”.
Scott said every situation was unique and it was clear Mitchell, a former Eagles assistant, had a relationship with Allen.
“I rail against this idea we need to modify all our behaviour because of the perception that other people dictate,” Scott said.
“One, grow up, the old timers who just can’t bare this stuff that opposition teams could be talking to their teammates ... is it a good look?
“The people who don’t like it probably don’t know the system that well.
“Is it a good look? I would kind of say get with the program, but it’s kind of good fodder isn’t it?”
Scott said a view that clubs can’t talk to opposition players was outdated.
“I would argue anyone who played footy before 2000 hates it, and anybody who started playing after 2010 is probably OK with it,” he said.
“I would argue that the people who have the biggest issue here and are trying to project their difficulty of these sorts of situations based on their experience in 1987, aren’t really reflecting what and how the players of today actually operate.
“I don’t think we give them enough credit for their ability to walk and chew gum at the same time.
“But if any West Coast players that have an issue with Oscar Allen should grow up ... sorry if that sounded harsh.”
Providing a “real world example” from a Cats perspective, he said the then out-of-contract Tyson Stengle met with St Kilda coach Ross Lyon last year.
“He’s a free agent,” he said.
“Is the expectation at our club that Tyson comes to me and says: ‘Oh Chris, is it OK?”
“No, of course not, you’re an individual, we accept that it is happening.”
However, while passionate about the subject, Scott could still see the humour in the situation:
“Our preferred model is that we can speak to whichever players we want, but no one’s allowed to speak to ours, but we just can’t get anyone to agree with that.”
Originally published as Chris Scott has no problem with clubs talking to rival players
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