Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett hopes Don Scott will accept the club’s offer of Legend status
Don Scott made headlines when he declined to accept Hawthorn’s offer of Legend status, citing a disagreement with club president Jeff Kennett over where it would be presented. It didn’t happen at last night’s AGM, will it ever?
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Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett says he hopes Don Scott will overcome a personal difference and accept the club’s honour of Legend status.
Scott declined an invite to attend last night’s annual general meeting where he was due to become the club’s ninth legend due to an ongoing feud with Kennett.
Scott has previously said his issues went back 40 years and were inflamed recently over another dispute with Kennett about when and where the elevation to Legend status would be formally presented.
It is understood Scott preferred to accept the Legend award at a life members’ function, not the annual general meeting.
Kennett last night lauded Scott’s enormous contribution to the club, in particular helping save it from a merger with Melbourne in 1996. The gun big man played in three premierships, including two as captain, over his glittering 302-game caree
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“Don is a legend of the club and, putting aside his football career, what he did in 1996 was worthy enough, and we are very keen that he takes on that accolade, because we only have a few legends,” Kennett said.
“It’s a rare honour, not offered lightly. Therefore we were disappointed (Scott chose not to accept it) but we hope in the not-too-distant future that may change.
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“I hope one day he will accept this honour because he is so much a part of the fabric of the club, and if not for him in 1996 we would not be here today.”
Scott’s teammate Russell Greene, who also played in three premierships and 184 games at Hawthorn, quizzed Kennett about the delicate issue at the end of the meeting at the Hawthorn Arts Centre, and suggested Scott had been “backed into a corner”.
“All eight (other Legends) were never inducted at the AGM,” Greene said.
“I can understand supporters would like to see the great man who in ’96 took the bull by the horns.
“But I’m a little bit miffed about it. It’s as though if he doesn’t do it here, he doesn’t get his Legend status. I’m a little bit confused.”
But Kennett said the AGM was the “most important meeting of the year” and the appropriate time to hand out such accolades.
Veteran premiership recruiter Greg Boxall was made a life member last night for his role in helping setup Hawthorn’s golden premiership era including the 2008 and 2013-15 flags.
Football director Richie Vandenberg was also re-elected to the board for three more years.
Kennett said the club would continue to fight to have its women’s team included into the AFLW competition beyond 2022.
“It remains a great disappointment the club is not included in the mix and it is discriminatory against a club that has performed so well in the past few decades,” Kennett said.
The president said the club would take time to digest the taskforce report on the feasibility of a standalone Tasmanian team which could end the Hawks’ home games in Launceston. It is due to be presented in the next few weeks.
Kennett said the Hawks were also working to identify new revenue streams to replace the millions of dollars it receives from gaming machines each year.