When Geelong slumped to their second straight loss in late March, this time a nine-point defeat to Brisbane at the Gabba, there was no alarm bell. Instead, some of the players went to Noosa.
The Cats were 1-2 and facing Melbourne the following Friday, but head coach Chris Scott’s response was anything but old-school. He trusted his players to decompress and reset, and they repaid him in full, thrashing the Demons by 39 points.
“It was a pretty bad loss. I think we were one and two and me and Mark Blicavs were in Noosa on Wednesday, and then we played Friday night,” Gryan Miers told SEN.
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“(Scott) had full confidence that we would do the training that we needed to do and perform... It was kind of just a refresher that we needed to get our minds right, get our bodies right, feel good about life and footy, and then go out and perform.”
A club built on balance, not panic
For years now, Scott has been praised by senior figures like Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Hawkins for creating a measured environment, one that doesn’t overreact to losses, nor celebrate wins too long.
Hawkins recalled how even after poor showings in 2022, “there was no sense of panic at all,” crediting Scott’s clarity and belief in the group.
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It’s a culture that prioritises player wellbeing and joy in the game, without compromising high standards.
“Training has got to be fun. Games have to be fun,” Dangerfield said on AFL 360. “It really shouldn’t change as you become a professional athlete... Chris has driven that.”
Geelong’s laid-back lifestyle, where players surf before training or raise cattle on farms, isn’t just a backdrop. It’s part of the club’s success story.
“Most of the time, we don’t start with our first meeting until 10 am,” Dangerfield added. “When we are on, you go to work. But then, when you are off, you can enjoy life outside of footy.”