Brad Scott (Australian footballer)

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Brad Scott
Brad Scott 2017.jpg
Brad Scott in 2017
Personal information
Full name Bradley David Walter Scott
Date of birth (1976-05-03) 3 May 1976 (age 49)
Place of birth Melbourne, Victoria
Original team(s) Eastern Ranges (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 60, 1994 national draft
Height 181 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 87 kg (192 lb)
Playing career1
YearsClubGames (Goals)
1997 Hawthorn 22 (6)
1998–2006 Brisbane Lions 146 (39)
Total168 (45)
Coaching career3
YearsClubGames (W–L–D)
2010–2019 North Melbourne 211 (106–105–0)
2023– Essendon 61 (27–33–1)
Total272 (133–138–1)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2006.
3 Coaching statistics correct as of round 17, 2025.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Bradley David Walter Scott (born 3 May 1976) is a former Australian rules footballer who is currently the coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played for Hawthorn and the Brisbane Lions, and was previously the coach of the North Melbourne Football Club from 2010 until 2019.

Contents

Scott currently ranks second behind Ken Hinkley for most AFL/VFL games coached without making a grand final, after surpassing Terry Wallace in 2024. [1]

Playing career

Hawthorn

Scott was recruited to Hawthorn in the 1994 national draft at pick 60, without playing a game, he was delisted and then re-drafted by Hawthorn in the 1996 draft, where he won the reserves best-and-fairest. Making his senior debut in 1997, Brad played all 22 games and was seen as a very solid contributor, but was traded at the end of that season to the Brisbane Lions, enabling him to play in the same side as his brother Chris. [2]

Brad Scott played a total of 22 games and kicked 6 goals in the 1997 season, for Hawthorn Football Club. [2]

Brisbane Lions

Scott was a very solid contributor over a number of years with the Lions and was seen as a fearless figure in defence. While defiant, Scott battled numerous injuries including one incurred during his milestone 150th game late in 2005. [2]

Like his brother, Scott was renowned for being one of the hardest players in the league. They were both integral members of the Brisbane Lions' first two premierships in 2001 and 2002. [2]

Injuries saw him miss the 2003 premiership and sidelined for the latter part of 2004. [2]

Scott's lacklustre form in 2004 and 2005 fed speculation that his contract with the Lions would not be renewed, however he remained with the club and announced on 10 August 2006 that he would retire from his playing career at the end of the 2006 season. [3] Scott played his farewell game in Round 22 against the Saints. [2]

Brad Scott played a total of 146 games and kicked a total of 39 goals for Brisbane Lions from 1998 until 2006. He was also a member of the Brisbane Lions premiership teams in 2001 and 2002 [2]

Coaching career

Collingwood (assistant)

After retiring from playing, Scott become an assistant coach as the development coach at Collingwood under senior coach Mick Malthouse, where he had success working closely with a number of players. [4]

North Melbourne (2010–2019)

Scott had been a candidate for the vacant coaching position at Richmond, however he believed his skill set better suited North Melbourne far better and was appointed as senior coach of North Melbourne for the 2010 season, signing a three-year contract on 17 August 2009. [5] Scott replaced caretaker senior coach Darren Crocker, who replaced Dani Laidley after Laidley resigned in the middle of the 2009 season.

Scott had a terrible start to his coaching career, with three of the first four matches resulting in losses, including a 104-point thrashing from 2009 runners-up St Kilda. Since then, North Melbourne made steady progress and finished outside the top eight on percentage. [2]

Although North Melbourne missed the finals for the second year in succession, Scott was rewarded with a contract extension, with president James Brayshaw stating that he was satisfied with the club's progress under Scott. He led the team to 8th position, doing so secured a spot in the 2012 finals series, with the side winning ten of its last twelve matches (including six in a row between Rounds 16–21) following a 115-point loss to Hawthorn in Round 10. The club was then defeated in their elimination final match against West Coast by 96 points. [2]

Following North Melbourne's disappointing season in 2013 after losing 10 matches by 16 points or less, the 2014 season began with a positive outlook as Nick Dal Santo was added to North Melbourne's list as a restricted free agent at the end of the 2013 season. With North Melbourne's midfield looking stronger, the success of the 2014 season saw Scott lead North Melbourne into his second finals series as coach after finishing 6th at the end of the home and away season. Winning their elimination final match against Essendon by 12 points, then defeating Geelong in the semi-final to progress to Scott's' first preliminary final as coach against Sydney, but the 71-point loss ended North Melbourne's finals run. [2]

The beginning of the 2015 season once again saw Scott make some vital inclusions to North Melbourne's list, with the addition of tall-forward Jarrad Waite and medium forward/midfielder Shaun Higgins. Despite finishing 8th, Scott was under scrutiny after a highly controversial decision to rest 9 players in Round 23 against Richmond, which was deemed by many to be a form of 'tanking'. Scott's 'plan' however, proved to be successful after defeating Richmond in the elimination final the following week by 17 points and going on to defeat Sydney in the semi-final to become the first ever team to reach a preliminary final after finishing 8th in the home and away season. North Melbourne's run was ended by West Coast at Domain Stadium by 25 points. [2]

Scott resigned as senior coach of North Melbourne on 26 May 2019 in the middle of the 2019 season, after ten rounds. [6] [7] [8] At the time, he held the record for most games coached at any one club in AFL/VFL history without making a Grand Final. Scott was then replaced by assistant coach Rhyce Shaw as caretaker senior coach of North Melbourne for the rest of the 2019 season, who was eventually appointed as full-time senior coach.

Essendon (2023–present)

Scott was appointed as the senior coach of Essendon for 2023 in September 2022. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] Scott replaced Ben Rutten, who was sacked as senior coach of Essendon at the end of the 2022 season. [14]

In Scott's first season in charge in 2023, Essendon had an 8-5 win-loss record and were sitting 6th on the ladder at the time of their bye, however Essendon only won 3 of their final ten games post the bye with 7 losses, slumping to an 11th place finish. The season ended with an 126-point defeat to Greater Western Sydney followed by a 70-point defeat to Collingwood. [15]

Scott's second season in charge followed a similar script to the first, starting with an 8-2 record with one draw after 11 rounds, however after that point only won 3 of their final twelve games to again slump to 11th position, despite having sat 2nd after round 12. On the eve of the 2025 season, Essendon extended Scott's contract by another year to take him to the end of 2026 season. [16]

Statistics

Playing statistics

[17]

Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals  
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds  
  H  
 Handballs  
  M  
 Marks
  #  
Played in that season's 
premiership team
SeasonTeamNo.GamesTotalsAverages (per game) Votes
GBKHDMTGBKHDMT
1997 Hawthorn 28226723310133475360.30.310.64.615.23.41.60
1998 Brisbane Lions 5195620110630752320.30.310.65.616.22.71.71
1999 Brisbane Lions 58024916651490.00.36.12.08.11.81.10
2000 Brisbane Lions 50——————————————–
2001 # Brisbane Lions 52214419710830584440.60.29.04.913.93.82.03
2002 # Brisbane Lions 525810315179494136550.30.412.67.219.85.42.20
2003 Brisbane Lions 52258245166411112480.20.411.17.518.75.12.23
2004 Brisbane Lions 515411388922760300.30.19.25.915.14.02.00
2005 Brisbane Lions 517211159220755140.10.16.85.412.23.20.80
2006 Brisbane Lions 5181115111526688430.10.18.46.414.84.92.40
Career1684540164497226166763110.30.29.85.815.64.01.97

Head coaching record

TeamYearHome and Away SeasonFinals
WonLostDrewWin %PositionWonLostWin %Result
NTH 2010 11110.5009th out of 16————
NTH 2011 10120.4559th out of 17————
NTH 2012 1480.6368th out of 1801.500Lost to West Coast in Elimination Final
NTH 2013 10120.45510th out of 18————
NTH 2014 1480.6366th out of 1821.667Lost to Sydney in Preliminary Final
NTH 2015 1390.5918th out of 1821.500Lost to West Coast in Preliminary Final
NTH 2016 12100.5458th out of 1801.500Lost to Adelaide in Elimination Final
NTH 2017 6160.27315th out of 18————
NTH 2018 12100.5459th out of 18————
NTH 2019 370.300(resigned after round 10)————
NTH Total1051030.50544.500
ESS 2023 11120.47811th out of 18————
ESS 2024 11111.50011th out of 18————
ESS Total22231.489————
Total1271261.50244.500
[18]

Controversies

May 2024 comments about Tarryn Thomas

In May 2024, while senior coach of Essendon, Scott said in a televised press interview that former North Melbourne player Tarryn Thomas was a "good person" and "deserved a second chance" despite a litany of criminal charges, including in 2023 when Thomas was charged with threatening to distribute an intimate image; Thomas was later stood down by the club, and the case was dropped, and Thomas was ordered to pay $1,000 to charity. [19] [20] [21] The charge was Thomas's second over the 2022–23 AFL off-season after he was previously caught driving while his licence was suspended. [22] Additionally, in a now-deleted Instagram video posted by Thomas, he appeared to have his feet up on a Mercedes dashboard while driving. [21] [23] Scott's comment in defence of Thomas was slammed by the public at large and by media personalities such as former AFL champion Jimmy Bartel, himself a staunch campaigner against domestic violence. [23] [24] [25] Scott's comments were seen as particularly tone-deaf considering the AFL had an upcoming round bringing attention to victims of domestic abuse. [26]

Personal life

Scott's identical twin brother Chris Scott played alongside him at the Brisbane Lions and is now the coach of Geelong. [27] Brad is the younger twin by a few minutes. [28] The twins both attended St Kevin’s College, their fees aided by Legacy following the circumstances of their father's death when they were eight years old. [29]

In September 2014, Scott's wife Penny gave birth to their first child, a son. [30]

Scott's favourite film is "Clueless" and his favourite song is the Dire Straits single "Money For Nothing". [31]

References

  1. ↑ "AFL Tables - Coaches".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "BRAD SCOTT" . Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  3. ↑ "Brad Scott announces retirement". 10 August 2006. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  4. ↑ "Scott reflects on ANZAC heroics". Collingwood Football Club. 25 April 2007. Archived from the original on 7 October 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2007.
  5. ↑ "Scott wins North job". 17 August 2009. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  6. ↑ "North Melbourne coach Brad Scott steps down as Kangaroos post AFL win over Western Bulldogs". 25 May 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  7. ↑ "Brad Scott officially steps down as North Melbourne coach". 26 May 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  8. ↑ "Brad Scott steps down". 25 May 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  9. ↑ "Great Scott: Dons poach AFL's footy GM as new coach".
  10. ↑ "Essendon announce Brad Scott as new senior coach on long-term deal". 29 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  11. ↑ "Brad Scott appointed Essendon AFL men's head coach". 29 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  12. ↑ "Essendon unveils Brad Scott as its new senior coach". 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  13. ↑ "Brad Scott appointed men's senior coach". 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  14. ↑ "Bombers get their man on long-term deal as ex-Roos boss Brad Scott appointed new coach". 29 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  15. ↑ "Essendon 2023 season review: Horror losses blight improvement". sportingnews.com. 29 August 2023.
  16. ↑ "Bombers make call to extend coach's contract, debuts confirmed". AFL Media. 11 March 2025.
  17. ↑ "AFL Tables – Brad Scott – Stats – Statistics". afltables.com. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  18. ↑ "AFL Tables – Brad Scott – Coaching Record". Afltables.com. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  19. ↑ Pearson, Erin (18 July 2023). "Tarryn Thomas to donate $1000 to charity after threatening to share nude videos of ex-girlfriend". The Age. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  20. ↑ "North Melbourne's Tarryn Thomas charged by police". ABC News. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  21. 1 2 "Exiled Roos star in hot water over deleted video". wwos.nine.com.au. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  22. ↑ "North Melbourne's hypocrisy is impossible to miss". www.sen.com.au. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  23. 1 2 "'Incredibly uncomfortable': Great's issue with ex-Roo's return as AFL must 'walk the walk' on violence". Fox Sports. 1 May 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  24. ↑ McLachlan, Hamish (27 March 2016). "Jimmy Bartel speaks out about the domestic violence he experienced growing up". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  25. ↑ Epstein, Jackie (4 October 2016). "Jimmy Bartel shaves his beard off after growing it for 200 days for the Face UP To DV campaign". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  26. ↑ "AFL clubs support stance on gendered violence as Eagles boss Pyke highlights 'horrendous' numbers". ABC News. 1 May 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  27. ↑ Baum, Greg (19 October 2010). "Identical twins happy to go their separate ways" . Retrieved 25 June 2016– via The Age.
  28. ↑ "The Scott brothers I know: Jason Akermanis". Heraldsun.com.au. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  29. ↑ "Scott twins".
  30. ↑ Cherny, Daniel (10 September 2014). "North Melbourne coach Brad Scott and wife Penny welcome baby boy". The Age. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  31. ↑ Football Record magazine issue #114 published 28 July 2016
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