Geelong Cats: Chris Scott believes Gryan Miers deserves All Australian blazer

Chris Scott has thrown his weight behind the ‘Gryan Miers: All Australian’ conversation, with Scott revealing he didn’t expect much from the milestone man when he first arrived at the club.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 30: Gryan Miers of the Cats looks on during the round 16 AFL match between Sydney Swans and Geelong Cats at Sydney Cricket Ground on June 30, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jason McCawley/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Chris Scott has thrown his weight behind the swelling support of Gryan Miers as the forward sets his sights on his 100th game.

Miers has been one of the competition’s best small forwards in 2023, and the breakout season could earn the 24 year old an All Australian blazer.

His coach said Miers deserved to be considered for an All Australian position after a dominant campaign.

“It’s an interesting thought experiment, that the All Australian team should really pick a team that values the specific roles within that team as opposed to just picking the best players,” Scott said.

“I’m glad I’m not a selector because you might be faced with the challenge of saying we want that type of position so Gryan Miers is the best in the comp at that but we’re going to have to leave out (Christian) Petracca because otherwise he would be in that position.

“I kind of get why they’d pick Petracca.

“Maybe they should go through that process internally and think a little bit more about … pick a team as if we’re playing another team and therefore you need guys who play that high forward role and you need guys that are specialist wingers.

“It’s fair recognition that he’d be considered in that category, I think he’s somewhere in that level.”

Miers has assisted on more goals than any other player in the competition this season, setting up 28 majors so far this season, well and truly eclipsing last season’s number of 19 through 22 games.

He is also recording career high statistics in disposals, marks, clearances, tackles, inside 50s, contested marks, contested possessions and score assists.

Scott said he could see Miers putting together an outstanding career at Geelong after not expecting much from him in his maiden campaign.

Miers has led the AFL for goal assists. Picture: Quinn Rooney

“He is, in my opinion, one of the best goal assist players in the competition and it’s just never occurred to him or to us that he might not embrace his role, he’s just been that type of guy,” he said.

“I get a sense it’s just a milestone along the way that’ll be thought about less as he passes 150 and 200 and 250, he’s that good.

“If I go way back, he came to our club, didn’t play a senior game in his first year and, I don’t mind saying this publicly because I said it to him and the rest of the players, to my eye he was quite a way off from being a consistent AFL player.

“But his improvement and his workrate and his commitment to the team has just been amazing and now I think he is getting a little bit more recognition for the role he plays within the team.”

Originally published as Geelong Cats: Chris Scott believes Gryan Miers deserves All Australian blazer