Brad Scott’s golden handshake revealed in extraordinary $800,000 powerplay

Brad Scott sported a beaming grin in his resignation announcement. It’s now revealed a contract clause has North Melbourne at his mercy.

North Melbourne is reportedly staring down the barrel of an $800,000 payout to former coach Brad Scott next year if the unemployed mentor doesn’t take up a senior coaching role in 2020.

According to an exclusive report in The Herald Sun, Scott has the Roos at his mercy knowing that he can’t lose even if he misses out on a job for the 2020 season.

Scott’s decision to walk away from the Roos prompted widespread speculation the former Brisbane Lions star had already been in contact with St Kilda over the club’s vacant coaching position for next year following Alan Richardson’s departure.

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However, the dramatic bounce-backs from St Kilda, Carlton and the Roos this season since their senior coaches were moved on have left the coaching market in uncertainty.

Scott, however, won’t be losing sleep over his immediate coaching future, AFL 360 co-host Mark Robinson reports, with the Roos to pay out his entire 2020 salary if he doesn’t land a gig for next year.

That’s some golden handshake.

While St Kilda has continued to deny any deal has been reached with Scott, he remains a top candidate for the vacant job. He’s also been mentioned as a possible option to step-in should Adelaide or Fremantle decide to axe under fire coaches Don Pyke and Ross Lyon.

Scott's payout clause raises further headaches for the Roos, with revelations the $800,000 would be added to the club’s football department soft cap in a move that Robinson reports would be “crippling” to the club’s ability to match the money rival clubs will be spending on their football operations.

The report also raises an embarrassing slight towards interim coach Rhyce Shaw — widely reported to be a lock to step-up as the long-term senior coach next season.

Shaw is reportedly facing a salary of around $400,000 to $500,000 per season if appointed to the senior coach role.

That’s gotta sting.

The same report outlines that the Kangaroos were prepared to pay Sydney coach John Longmire up to $1.2 million per season to jump ship at the end of 2019.

Scott is reportedly happy to take a year away from the sport in 2020, however, he’s also been linked with a possible sidestep to join the AFL’s executive team.

According to Channel 7’s Tom Browne, AFL boss Gillon McLachlan is considering Scott for a position in the AFL football department.

“Brad Scott’s a little bit undecided about coaching at the moment, because my strong mail is that Gil McLachlan and Andrew Dillon, two head honchos at the AFL, are a little bit keen on Scott joining the AFL executive ranks if he doesn’t want to coach,” Browne told Triple M’s Hot Breakfast.

“It could lead to a big job one day. There’s some talk Scott has got the attributes to be the big kahuna, the CEO.”