North Melbourne leaders Ben Cunnington and Jack Ziebell pay tribute to coach Brad Scott after emotional win

An emotional Brad Scott ended his 10-season, 211-game tenure as North Melbourne coach with one of the most remarkable wins of his career, then insisted the club’s players — and likely interim coach Rhyce Shaw — still had plenty left to prove in 2019.

Brad Scott’s time at North Melbourne is coming to an end. Picture: Getty Images

An emotional Brad Scott ended his 10-season, 211-game tenure as North Melbourne coach with one of the most remarkable wins of his career, then insisted the club’s players — and likely interim coach Rhyce Shaw — still had plenty left to prove in 2019.

In an extraordinary day, the Kangaroos bade farewell to their coach with a desperate 25-point win over the Western Bulldogs, giving him a fitting send-off.

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Scott will officially announce today at a press conference at Arden Street at midday that he will depart the club, but he made the goodbyes that mattered last night.

“I was really proud of the way the club — led by the players — were able to stay focused on the task at hand,” Scott said.

After it emerged on Friday that this was likely Scott’s final game as coach, he turned off his mobile phone. But he addressed the players in the rooms yesterday at 12.20pm, explaining the situation and telling them to stay focused.

Admitting his players were “agitated”, he praised them for channelling their emotion in the right manner.

“It wasn’t without its challenges, the players were emotional at times; they were emotional at the breaks,” he said.

“But I thought my job was to keep them focused on the task at hand, contest to contest and they were just super today.”

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Scott gathered reluctantly with his players on the boundary line after the game, as he also farewelled the Kangaroos crowd.

At times, it seemed as if he had tears in his eyes, having led the club since 2010, and twice taking them into preliminary finals.

“(The players) were emotional, which tends to set off a bit of a chain reaction,” he said. “I pride myself in keeping it together … and largely we did.”

Mason Wood celebrates a goal during North Melbourne’s rousing win over Western Bulldogs. Picture: Daniel Pockett/AFL Media/Getty Images.

The team waited for Scott’s children — Fletcher and Harrison — to make it down to the rooms, demanding he ‘Join in the Chorus’.

“I’ve never been in the song (before) … it is about the players,” he said. “Sometimes you have to fight the battles you know you can win, and I couldn’t win that one.”

He addressed the players and staff — in a private room for 15 minutes before skipper Jack Ziebell called a players’ meeting.

Scott explained he had discussed North Melbourne’s strategic direction with officials “weeks and weeks ago”, insisting he was always going to do what was best for the organisation.

“Ultimately, the strategic direction for the club is not in my control — and I don’t have a vote,” he said.

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott celebrates with his players post-match. Picture: AAP Image/Hamish Blair.

He wished he had had more time to mentor Rhyce Shaw, who is expected to be formally announced caretaker coach today.

“I felt I haven’t finished the job in terms of mentoring him, but he has accelerated very quickly that he is already a very good coach in his own right,” he said.

Ziebell said of the players: “We’re all professionals, (it’s) part of the industry. We had a job to do … and the boys were awesome. To be honest mate, that was for Scotty.”

“It felt like a loss in your family,” Ben Cunnington said on Fox Footy.

“He backed me right from the start, early on he kept showing belief in me to be able to be who I am today. It was personal and I wish I could have him for my whole career but that’s life.”

“Today was a win for his whole career.

Shaun Higgins heaped praise on Scott, saying he had never been as close to a coach before.

“He is a players’ coach, he has had our backs for so long,” Higgins said. “From the players’ perspective it was great to be able to give him and his family a win.”