By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
THE messages from Geelong coach Chris Scott have been consistent all season, which is more than can be said for his players.
As the Cats enjoy a week’s break, it’s worth reviewing Scott’s messages to see what the remaining five games may hold.
Message one: it’s a long season.
Scott has maintained all along that the season will ebb and flow and anything can happen.
Case in point: Port Adelaide, North Melbourne and Fremantle, each of which has dropped off unexpectedly and infliced significant damage on their campaigns.
By doing little else than enough to win, Geelong has found itself in either second or third place, depending on whether Hawthorn knocks off the Swans in the second half of this split round.
A top-two finish will also remove the travelling bugbear, earning Geelong a Victorian final first up.
The real test will come over the next two weeks when the Cats take on the Kangaroos and Dockers, ironically two of the sides that have dipped recently.
The opportunity is staring Geelong in its cat-like face: win those and regenerate the old never-write-off-the-Cats fear among the remaining opposition.
Message two: the glass is half full.
When they’ve been good, they’ve been very good, making the bad patches look all the more terrible.
But Scott has accentuated the positive, offering his charges a saucer of milk rather than booting them out of the cat flap into the cold.
The encouraging approach is aimed more at the young players still getting games under their belt. It’s a delicate psychological balance. After all, players do need a rev up now and again, as brother Brad was reminded by his own Kangaroos players this week.
But playing the game the Geelong way and trusting in the culture to keep players on the right track has certainly reaped rewards over the last seven years, so there’s no point in throwing it out now.
Message three: stay injury-free
Scott doesn’t subscribe to the soldier out = soldier in philosophy. He knows that his best players are there for a reason and losing one generally weakens the team.
So the medical room has focussed on getting as many of the best players as possible ready for the business end of the season.
He has reiterated time and again the club’s cautious approach to injuries and rehabilitation to ensure players are cherry ripe and then given time to get back up to speed before the crunch comes.
The break this week will stand that approach in good stead, allowing little niggles and sore spots to be overcome.
Message four: longevity
Scott is not interested in selling out next year and the year after – St Kilda style – for the sake of this season.
That means players, and the sub-50 gamers in particular, know they have long-term as well as short-term goals, offering greater perspective, and taking some of the immediate pressure off.
It’s a wise move in the context of the weekly pressure to perform that pervades football clubs.
