Combative Brad Scott’s beefs from AFL to stadium roof

Brad Scott’s clash with David King was the last in a long line of feuds for the combative former North Melbourne coach. Here’s a look back at some of Scott’s beefs with the AFL, journos and even inanimate objects.

To close or not to close? That was the vexing question on a wet arvo in 2013.

Brad Scott’s run in with David King was the last in a long line of feuds throughout his time at the helm of North Melbourne.

Scott was a combative, fiery champion for North Melbourne, not afraid to take on the AFL, the media or even inanimate objects.

Here’s a look back at some of Scott’s battles in his time as Kangaroos coach.

SCOTT V THE ROOF

Perhaps Brad Scott’s most famous footy feud was with the roof at Marvel Stadium (then Etihad Stadium).

Scott was enraged the roof was left open on a rain soaked afternoon in 2013.

The Kangaroos coach was in no mood to mince words after his team blew a 41-point halftime lead to go down narrowly to Geelong.

After remonstrating with an AFL official in the moments after the match, Scott rolled into his post-game press conference and let loose.

“We’ve got a great stadium here. It’s embarrassing for the competition when it’s raining at an indoor stadium,’’ he said.

“There’s a policy of when the sun’s shining the roof’s open — but no one likes it. The fans don’t like it, the broadcaster hates it, the players hate it.

Brad Scott seeks clarity on the AFL’s roof policy after a narrow loss to the Cats in 2013.

“I just do not understand why we don’t close the roof, and I asked the ground manager after the game and he said ‘We looked at the forecast, and it said it wasn’t going to rain’.

“Close it. Just close it. It’s not that hard.”

His comments were a talking point for weeks and spawned the mock Twitter page that has given footy fans plenty of laughs in the years since.

Good. The @AustralianOpen is years ahead of the @AFL when it comes to roofing excellence https://t.co/blS0j6JDr2

— Brad Scott (@bradscottwhinge) January 24, 2019

SCOTT V THE UMPIRES

Brad Scott earned the wrath of the AFL — and a $30,000 fine — when he accused the umpires of bias after a loss to Hawthorn in 2016.

Scott claimed an umpire told his players that North Melbourne forward Lindsay Thomas would not be awarded free kicks for high contact because “he’s a ducker”.

An embarrassed Scott later offered his “unreserved apology”, saying he had acted on information from a “trusted source”.

The Kangaroos were also hit with a $50,000 fine over the comments.

Lindsay Thomas free kicks, or lack thereof, sparked the issue. Picture: Michael Klein

SCOTT V THE 6-6-6 RULE

Scott last week rated the AFL’s 6-6-6 rule a win for the sport, but a big loss for North Melbourne.

Scott sits on the league’s competition committee and joked that he’d like a do-over on the rule.

“Certainly in hindsight if I could go back I’d change the 6-6-6 (rule), because it’s killed North Melbourne, but it’s been good for the game — the game looks better,” Scott said.

SCOTT V THE SECURITY GUARD

Tasmania police investigated Scott over an alleged clash between he and a security guard during a game against Richmond at Blundstone Arena in Hobart in 2015.

Scott was dashing from the coaches’ box to the ground when he encountered a security guard in the grandstand.

Sources said there was “some sort of contact” made between the pair as Scott attempted to “squeeze past”.

“Things will come out in the wash-up, all I can say is I absolutely welcome an investigation and look forward to putting the facts into the story,” Scott said at the time.

“We’re all aware that there has been some allegations made. Unfortunately … there will be a police investigation now, so while I’d love to answer all your questions and give you a full version of events, and actually tell you what happened, I can’t.”

Police interviewed Scott but took no further action against him.

SCOTT V DAVID KING

An animated Scott ran past David King and unleashed a few choice words — that weren’t hard for any lip reader to decipher — on his way out to the three quarter time huddle.

King was critical of Scott in a recent column in the Herald Sun.

Scott hit out at King’s lack of insight into North Melbourne after the game, but said he never intended to make contact with the media identity.

“I get frustrated sometimes when the cameras are too close to our huddle,” he said.

“But there was a time when I put my shoulder straight through David King … it was at the Gabba in the late ‘90s, and he didn’t respond then either.

“So, I’m not about to start doing that again, (I’m a) coach, not a player.”

SCOTT V TOM ROCKLIFF

Scott and Brisbane’s Tom Rockliff were involved in an on-field confrontation in 2014.

Rockliff had a verbal spat with Brent Harvey on the final siren and Scott followed up after the Lions upset win over the Kangaroos at the Gabba

Scott said he had no regrets over the incident and stressed he was calm and emotionless during the exchange.

“(I had) a very simple conversation with Tom, which was along the lines of, ‘mate, what happened after the siren with Boomer?’,” Scott said.

“He explained it to me, I accepted that explanation and said, ‘Come on mate, I think you’re better than that’. So, cuff me if you want.”

Scott talks to media after an on-field incident with Tom Rockliff.

Leigh Matthews, who was football director on the Lions board at the time, slammed Scott’s on-field exchange, calling it a “big mistake’’, while Wayne Carey said the interaction was “fraught with danger”.

Scott’s actions prompted a call from the AFL.

SCOTT AND HIS VETERANS

Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Nick Dal Santo and Michael Firrito were told their services were no longer required before the final home and away game of 2016.

The Kangaroos won the first nine games of the season, but the wheels quickly fell off with the club winning just one of its next seven matches.

The dramatic form slump raised questions about the future of the star veterans on an ageing list, and after weeks of speculation the axe finally fell late in the year.

Many Kangaroo fans were upset with the timing of the axings, questioning why the decisions couldn’t wait until after the season and why time was called on games record holder Harvey?

Scott described the call to end the four careers as the hardest day in his coaching career.

“I’m not ashamed to say I love these guys and if they were here in 2017, I’d play them. That would not be in our best interests,” he said.

The Kangaroos season had been in a tailspin for weeks, but sacking the four stalwarts seemed to kill off whatever momentum was left in the finals push.

The Kangaroos’ season ended with a whimper soon after in 62-point loss to Adelaide in the first final.

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SCOTT V JOURNOS

After three straight losses earlier this season, Scott was in no mood for ridiculous questions — like whether there might be changes in the team’s line-up the next week.

“Do you want me to put someone’s head on a platter for you? I’m not going to do that,” he said when asked by a reporter.

“You can keep asking, but I’m not going to do that. Mate, we’ll name our team every week and you can read about it.”

North Melbourne and Scott took issue with Caroline Wilson’s comment on Footy Classified.

North Melbourne directed its ire at Caroline Wilson in 2013 when she suggested North’s medical services director Steve Saunders had been overruling the club doctor since 2011.

The club demanded an apology from Wilson and Scott even suggested her comments could lead to legal action.

“It’s very dangerous territory when you start making those accusations without any evidence to back it up. I can categorically say that’s not true,” Scott said.

“And, unfortunately, when Caroline Wilson speaks these days about North Melbourne most people think that it’s just pursuing a personal vendetta that she’s had against James Brayshaw for a long time.”