Geelong two-time premiership coach Chris Scott has revealed how close he came to resigning after another finals disappointment at the end of the 2021 AFL season.
Scott asked key Cats figures if he was the right man for the job in the wake of their heavy preliminary final loss to eventual premiers Melbourne.
It was the latest in a string of finals losses for Geelong, including the 2020 grand final against Richmond.
The failure against Melbourne heightened talk that the Cats under Scott were too old and would not win a flag.
But they transformed themselves last season and belted Sydney in the grand final.
Scott is now a two-time premiership coach, having also taken the Cats to the 2011 flag in his first season at the club, and a two-time premiership player at Brisbane.
"I don't think anyone wants to out-stay his welcome and it's hard to walk away, especially when you're pretty good," Scott said.
"It wouldn't have taken much to nudge me out."
While it is known around Geelong that Scott asked the question of his own future at the end of the 2021 season, it has never been detailed so publicly.
Scott, retired Geelong captain Joel Selwood and his successor Patrick Dangerfield spoke about it in the Relentless documentary on the Cats premiership, which was screened for the first time at Thursday night's AFL season launch in Melbourne.
"I remember Chris asking 'am I the right person for it?'," Dangerfield said.
Scott said they were a good team, but had not been good enough to beat the generational teams that went on to win the premiership.
He also spoke of Geelong's determination during his tenure to stay near the top and buck the AFL system of equalisation.
"There's no doubt our approach was unorthodox and contrarian, but there's no point being contrarian if you're wrong," he said.
"The thing I'm proud of is our whole club has just refused to roll over.
"If you're going to be criticised for always giving yourselves a chance to win it, finishing in the top four and not accepting the competition or the system has kind of caught up with you ... I will wear that.
"I'd much rather be there than safely out of the conversation."
Scott also had a thinly veiled warning for the rest of the league as the Cats try to go back-to-back for only the second time in club history.
"At some point it will change for us and we'll have to move quickly when that happens - but it's not now," he said.
Also at the season launch, AFL chairman Richard Goyder announced that broadcasting great Bruce McAvaney will be inducted into the league's Hall Of Fame later this year.
Two-time grand final umpire Glenn James will also be honoured during the AFL's Sir Doug Nicholls indigenous round this season.
