In a period that has seen over 40 head coaches come and go from top jobs around the league, Chris Scott has forged an incredible, sustained career at the helm of the Geelong Football Club.
Chris Scott has epitomised what it means to represent the Geelong Football Club, bringing success to supporters across the region while remaining humble about his own accomplishments.
After playing 215 games across 13 seasons with the Brisbane Lions, few could have predicted the remarkable next chapter of Chris Scott’s AFL journey.
From a two-time premiership player in sunny Queensland to the head coaching role in significantly colder Geelong, Scott took over the Cats top job at the end of the 2010 season.
Thrust into a difficult position with an aging list looking to continue Geelong’s period of success, the 47-year-old took no time settling into his new life in ‘Sleepy Hollow.’
Cats legend, Cameron Ling spoke on Scott’s early years at Kardinia Park on this week’s episode of Gthje ‘To the Final Bell’ podcast.
“He embraced the club and the area very early on, he said he didn't want to be a coach who did four or five years here and then jump to another club,” Ling said.
“He wanted to coach this club for a long time and when that time ends, he can't see himself coaching another club. He loved the Cats right from the start.
"From what I've observed and what you hear the players say, he leads with that Geelong way of life. When you're here you go hard but you have a life outside of footy as well.”
Fast forward 13 seasons, 12 finals appearances, three grand finals, and two premierships, there isn’t much that Chris Scott hasn’t achieved during his tenure with the Cats.
But this weekend Scott will set yet another Cats record, eclipsing Reg Hickey for the most games as head coach in Geelong Football Club history.
With 305-games at the helm, Scott will break the long-standing record against Fremantle, an achievement that Ling and Meg McDonald said can not be understated in today’s coaching landscape.
“It is a remarkable achievement and one that he will and all of us as Geelong supporters will look back on, and think how lucky we were to go from a great premiership coach in Mark Thompson to a great premiership coach in Chris Scott,” Ling said.
“You are battling an industry that is becoming increasingly ruthless with so much pressure,” McDonald said.
“I think the sustainability of the role, in general, is a challenge, his longevity is a testament to how he goes about it.
"A necessity of longevity is success and I think what Scott has done for the club and the region, keeping the team as successful as it is can not be understated in an environment such as Geelong.
"I think he is already the winningest coach in league history, and you only have to look at this season to see the challenges he faces each year.”
Scott will become one of only eleven coaches to reach over 300-games at the top in V/AFL history, only missing the finals once across his span with the Cats.
