By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
DON’T expect too much change from Chris Scott during the finals series.
Finishing second, minimal serious injury concerns, a generous allotment of ready-made back-up players in the leading second tier side – and a home final to boot.
No wonder the coach was relaxed and smiling as he watched his captain, Joel Selwood, handle questions at a finals footy media fest this week.
“If you’d offered us at the start of season to be where we are now we’d have happily taken it,” Scott admitted.
A meticulous planner, Scott was pleased at how the season has panned out despite dealing with a few issues along the way.
Team defence was the major concern, highlighted by unexpected defeats, then came player discipline issues in responding to niggling tactics.
Fremantle will surely test that discipline after successfully inducing reckless acts from Geelong in the past.
“We want our players to play near the edge, that’s what competitors do. We expect Fremantle to be the same,” Scott said.
“But the rules are pretty clear – when you get to this time of year the umpires are the best and if they respond or intervene then you’ve clearly done something wrong, so our players are really clear on what they can and can’t do and we won’t be stepping over that edge.”
Selwood agreed.
“If you look at year this year overall we’ve been much more disciplined than in the past and I expect that side to come out,” he said.
It would take something drastic for the plan to change, with Scott at pains during the season to explain that all foreseeable events had been taken into account.
The club’s brainstrust had even developed contingencies for unforeseeable events, such as Tom Hawkins’ back issues.
However, playing at home in the first final was not one of them, although it was a pleasant surprise.
“For the town and region to get a finals game this early in the redevelopment is just massive,” Scott said.
“Hopefully it’s a precursor to the ground and Geelong getting more finals in the future.”
But both Scott and Selwood played down the home-ground advantage.
“We know the ground a lot better than Fremantle do, we play there and train there, but, as we all know, finals is a different game,” Selwood opined.
“We know all the grounds (MCG, Etihad) well enough. Fremantle don’t play those grounds anywhere near as much as we do but it’s a minor advantage.”
“Venue won’t be reason we win or lose,” Scott chimed in.
The late season revival of big-game player Paul Chapman could be a key to winning or losing, however.
“The thing I love about Chappy is he’s a competitor and on the big stage there are few better,” Scott declared.
Selwood agreed.
“We seriously love paying with him, the way he goes about it. He’s been through good times and bad, he’s ready to go, he’s done all the work – just a hint to the coach,” he laughed with a sideways look at Scott.
“That’s a high recommendation,” Scott nodded.
