AFL 2024: Geelong coach Chris Scott doesn’t want Cats’ form to ‘snowball’

Geelong coach Chris Scott has several key concerns out of a shock loss to St Kilda which blew a chance at a home qualifying final.

Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield looks on after an upset 18-point loss to St Kilda on Saturday night. Picture: Darrian Traynor / Getty Images

Geelong coach Chris Scott says he won’t sweep his side’s second-half fade out “under the carpet” but said Marvel Stadium conditions played a role in the Cats’ costly defeat.

With Geelong’s chance of a top-two finish and home final all but going begging in the 18-point loss to St Kilda, Scott said a listless second half had surprised him.

“(The players) are not morons. The missed opportunity … clearly we’re disappointed, we knew what was at stake,” he said after the game.

“The question now is how much do you dwell on that missed opportunity, as opposed to how much you focus on the opportunity that’s in front of us.

“In terms of missed opportunity, I don’t know a team in the comp that hasn’t been rueing certain sections of the season, so as much as anything, the challenge seems to be not allowing that to snowball.”

Senior Geelong midfielders including Patrick Dangerfield (pictured) and Tom Stewart had no impact after halftime despite a bright start which handed the Cats a 33-point lead at the main break. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images

Scott said repeat contest losses across the ground had made it difficult to adjust as the Saints produced “scintillating footy” he likened to the Harlem Globetrotters after halftime.

“We were throwing things around left, right and centre but we just kept getting beaten in contests, which is very hard to manage from off the field,” he said.

“When we were able to go forward in that third quarter in particular, they just kept marking it, so that bit is out of character for us.

“We know that (the Saints) can do that, they are Marvel specialists, play here a lot, it’s our first game here (this season) – but that’s not an excuse, because we saw what the first half looked like.”

Scott said the Cats’ coaches would not dwell on the defeat too long as it was “very unlikely” they would return to Marvel Stadium in September.

Geelong defender Lawson Humphries had 24 disposals and a team-high nine intercept possessions in only his eighth AFL game. Picture: Darrian Traynor / Getty Images

But he said it was a concern that the Saints’ “obvious threats” in ruckman Rowan Marshall and intercept defender Callum Wilkie controlled play after halftime.

He praised first-year defender Lawson Humphries for another assured performance across halfback.

“His first half in particular was outstanding, I thought he was the best player on the ground, really composed with the ball. I guess that was the positive for us … as much as anyone it was Lawson Humphries, Ollie Dempsey and Shaun Mannagh who were doing good stuff for us,” Scott said.

“That’s given us a bit of a look, and it’s one of the reasons we’re optimistic about what can be done over the next six weeks or so.”

Scott said there were no injury concerns for Gary Rohan, who was tactically swapped out for veteran sub Mitch Duncan late in the third quarter.

Originally published as AFL 2024: Geelong coach Chris Scott doesn’t want Cats’ form to ‘snowball’