Former North Melbourne coach Brad Scott will help tackle some of the AFL’s biggest issues
Brad Scott will help replace David Rath at AFL headquarters but his focus won’t only be on the field, with the former Kangas coach to share his knowledge from more than two decades at the top.
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Former North Melbourne coach Brad Scott will play a key role in the AFL’s revamped football department and game trends analysis next year.
The Brisbane Lions’ dual-premiership player and 10-year senior coach will be at the forefront of a number of changes and appointments designed to bolster the league’s football department following David Rath’s move to St Kilda.
In the position, Scott will closely examine game trends and congestion after the league introduced nine new rules for the 2019 season.
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But it will be only one aspect of a broad role, which will also involve some key commercial and business matters, as well as stadium and broadcasting issues, mental health and AFLW.
The league wants Scott to impart his coaching acumen and experience from more than two decades in the game across various aspects of the league’s operations.
Scott has taken a break from the game and spent more time with his family since the Kangaroos surprisingly parted ways with him in Round 10 this year.
Scott, who had a 50 per cent winning record at Arden St, twice led North Melbourne to preliminary final finishes.
He has also played a role helping the AFL on the laws of the game committee over the past two seasons.
The league has focused heavily on the rules debates, the scoring decline and trying to eradicate the congestion problem under Rath in 2018-19.
Amid the new rules was the big call to introduce six-six-six starting positions at the centre bounces which the league is confident will pay-off, helping provide players with more time and space in the contest.
But AFL football operations boss Steve Hocking said the league would also continue to zero in on other off-field matters beyond next season, including women’s football and mental health.
Hocking said the league was yet to finalise its football department staff changes for 2020, but was working through a process.
“We are taking our time with what that looks like, as far as the changes to the structure goes,” Hocking said.
“So there is no rush, at this stage.
“We have had a very on-field focus over the past couple of years with the new rules which were implemented.
“We are going to shift that focus to incorporate other areas, and certainly, AFLW and mental health are two parts of it.”
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Hocking said the league wanted to adopt a standard of “healthcare excellence” in its mental health and welfare programs, not only for the league’s players, but for all staff including coaches and recruiters and administration.
The AFL made two key mental health appointments last year, hiring Dr Kate Hall as the head of mental health and wellbeing, and chief psychiatrist Dr Ranjit Menon.
In particular, the welfare of coaching staff is a key issue for the league amid a warning from former Adelaide coach Don Pyke that coaches’ enjoyment of the game was on the wane.
It prompted support for calls that coaching staff should be given longer breaks in the off-season to help off-set some of the intense pressures on them.