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Scott, who was unveiled as Victoria’s coach in AFL Origin’s return next February, specifically remembers two representative matches with great fondness.The first, Scott was an inspired young Hawthorn supporter watching goalkicking greats Jason Dunstall, Tony Lockett and Gary Ablett Sr share a forward 50. “I thought it was as good as it got,” Scott said. But the second, in 2008, was perhaps better as it kickstarted Scott’s successful tenure as Geelong coach. Scott was welcomed onto a Cats-heavy coaching panel despite being a first-year assistant coach at Fremantle. He met Geelong chief executive Steve Hocking during that campaign and would 18 months later begin his career at the Cats. With his own journey in mind, Scott says he will consider giving the opportunity of assisting Victoria to one of the competition’s inexperienced coaches. “As it was, the Victorian coaching staff and support staff and basically everyone was from Geelong,” he said. “Mark Thompson coached that team but they did make the exception for one first-year assistant coach who was a Victorian coaching over at Fremantle and that was me. “It was an amazing experience, really helpful for me as a coach. I mean, I met Steve Hocking for the first time in that week. “In that context I kind of think to myself, ‘It would be a nice opportunity to think about how some of the younger coaches could get some exposure to that environment’. “I have already spoken to a couple of coaches who have said, ‘You only get a few chances in your life to coach all the best players’. “It doesn’t matter how good your team is at club land, you’re never going to be able to put a team together that has the very best players in the comp.” Scott playfully jokes there are “60 locks” for the Victorian team set to take on Western Australia at Optus Stadium on February 14. Of those 60, he named four specifically. “I’ve been thinking a bit about Charlie Curnow over the last couple of weeks,” he said with a laugh. “I’d very surprised if he wasn’t someone I would like to see wearing the Big V. It’s a long list but I shouldn’t individualise too much. “The ones that spring to mind for me are the ones at either ends of their careers to a certain extent. “I am not retiring Marcus Bontempelli … I don’t want to disparage the 2020 bushfire game but I would suspect this is a different situation. “This as close as we’re going to get to the deal and the chance for him at this stage of his career as probably the pre-eminent player in the competition. I hope that is exciting for him and it’s certainly exciting for me to get some exposure to what he could do. “Nick Daicos coming into that team … if you haven’t as a coach thought about at one stage, ‘If he was in our team, how would we use him?’ The mind boggles a little bit. “Even, I am not sure Tom Stewart has played for Victoria and that seems crazy to me … I think he’s been the best defender of a generation. For him to get the chance to play for Victoria is something he would relish and I’d love to see him in that environment.”
