Geelong coach Chris Scott has weighed in on the row about footy coaches tapping up out-of-contract players.
The Cats boss sided with Michael Voss, after the Carlton coach clapped back at Craig McRae for revealing he’d held a secret meeting with Blues key defender Jack Silvagni.
Scott, who appeared on Channel 7’s episode of The Agenda Setters on Tuesday, reasoned that footy clubs shouldn’t be ‘shouting the news from the rooftops’ that they have held meetings with players from other teams, who are reaching the end of their contracts.
The issue has been a hot topic so far this season and notably caused a stir after West Coast captain Oscar Allen was forced to apologise publicly in an emotional address to Eagles fans for holding secret meetings with Hawthorn boss Sam Mitchell.
And the matter has reared its head again this week, with Voss blasting his old Brisbane team-mate Craig McRae after the Collingwood coach announced he had met with Silvagni, and would be keen to hold another meeting with the Blues player.
Voss slammed McRae for announcing the matter in public, appearing to claim that it had put pressure on Silvagni. The under-pressure Carlton coach added that he hopes the 27-year-old defender would remain at the Blues beyond the 2025 season.
Chris Scott (pictured) has taken Michael Voss’ side in the firey debate that has erupted this week around coaches tapping up free agents
Out-of-contract Blues defender Jack Silvagni (left) had met Collingwood coach Craig McRae in recent weeks to discuss options at a potential move to the Blues’ big rivals
‘Regardless of what Craig did, it’s not something we would do. We will respect the privacy of the player,’ Voss said.
‘It’s not for me to announce something like that on behalf of someone, because they’re the ones that have to walk back into the locker room.’
Scott balanced the views of both of his former Lions team-mates before delivering his response on the matter. While he admitted McRae’s comments didn’t surprise him, the Geelong boss reasoned that Carlton were right to feel aggrieved by the manner in which the news has been released into the public domain.
‘I’m a little bit more Team Voss on this one,’ he said on The Agenda Setters.
‘But in Fly’s [McRae’s] defence, that’s kind of him; like he’s a funny guy. And that’s sort of him being himself a bit.’
He shed further light on how deals are done behind the scenes in the AFL world, adding that players sniff around for offers just as much as clubs hunt out new opportunities to bring in fresh talent.
‘(That’s) the reality of the situation. And I think most people in the footy industry know now that players, especially with free agency coming in, they really have an obligation to do their research,’ Scott said.
‘It’s not just clubs chasing players. It’s really players working out (who they want to play for).’
The Magpies coach had announced the news in a press conference and admitted that he’d be keen to host another meeting with Silvagni
But under-pressure Carlton coach Michael Voss (pictured) was not impressed by McRae’s comments, blasting him for airing the news in public
While the subject of players meeting with rival coaches has seen players, including Allen, cop huge backlash in the past, Scott, a pragmatist, reasoned that’s just the way the industry works.
‘(The players) need to meet with these people. I don’t think it is the clubs preying on those guys. So that’s the reality of the situation,’ Scott said.
‘But I don’t think it’s something that clubs should be promoting necessarily…’ he added, appearing to reference McRae’s comments.
‘There’s a reality that it’s happening but to talk about it… I think it is something that probably the media wants and the fans might like to know, but there are a lot of things that they like to know that they shouldn’t, in my opinion.
‘So I think Vossy’s point is really well made… It’s not up to the prospective club to out that player, knowing full well that the player’s got to walk back into the locker room and front, you know, his team-mates, especially and the coach in some parts.
‘Now, I’d be staggered if Carlton weren’t aware that Silvagni was assessing his options.’
It comes as McRae was blasted by comedian Dave Hughes at the Logie Awards on Sunday night over the matter.
From the red carpet, Hughes issued a scathing attack on the Collingwood boss, branding him a ‘d***head’ for his approaches to Silvagni, before dishing up a dig at the Pies’ lacklustre performance during their defeat by Brisbane on Saturday night.
The spat even erupted at the Logies on Sunday night, with comedian Dave Hughes (right) launching a scathing attack on McRae, calling him a ‘d***head’
Voss is hopeful that Silvagni (left) will stay beyond the 2025 season at the Blues, with the 27-year-old joining the club back in the 2015 National Draft
‘I’m not as upset as the Collingwood players who aren’t contracted yet who are not getting the money they want because their coach is out dating a Carlton player,’ Hughes said to The Herald Sun.
‘That’s a poor thing, he shouldn’t have done that. McRae made a mistake then and he’s paying for it,’ he said.
‘They (Collingwood) were s*** last night (against Brisbane),’ Hughes fumed.
‘Wonder why they didn’t go as hard, maybe because you’re dating a Carlton player during the week, you d***head.’
Scott later went on to back up his point, referencing how Ross Lyon had spoken with Tyson Stengle when the Geelong player’s contract was nearing its end.
‘He spoke with Tyson Stengle… I get it… so he should, that’s fine, but I don’t think we should be screaming it from the rooftops,’ Scott said to The Agenda Setters.
‘I think it happens a little bit with staff as well. Like we’ve got three really good assistant coaches that, in my view, if they want to, can be head coaches,’ he added.
