SA Footy

Does anyone know how many matches Don Scott had coached South for when he got the sack?

I'm pretty sure it was seven. From what I've heard about the night he was sacked, in a team meeting one player (I don't know who) got up and had a go at him for not really showing the players what was right and wrong - basically a yes man. Scott spat the dummy and was going to quit there and then, but the board already had that intention and were going to announce it to him.

Six games for an 0-6 record. Then went straight back to Victoria, never coached again.

rogernumber10 wrote:Six games for an 0-6 record. Then went straight back to Victoria, never coached again.

My mistake, you would be correct, because South lost one more game after he was sacked, then won in Round 8.

Only remember because I was a kid journo and went along to what turned out to be his last game and last media conference. Fair to say he scared me silly, because he seemed a complete lunatic.

Seemed? I'm sure you are more certain nowadays Rog.

smac wrote:Seemed? I'm sure you are more certain nowadays Rog.

I'm certain these days in my limited dealings. Back then, it was just the impression.

What year was it?

Was it 86?

1985, he replaced Cornes.

Back in the late 70s/early 80s he Hawthorn Football Club thought they had two players destined for coaching greatness. One was Leigh Matthews, the other was Don Scott. When he began with South, he tried to change too much too soon, both club culture and game style. Hence, he failed. Why he never tried coaching anyone else I'll never understand.

Adelaide Hawk wrote:Back in the late 70s/early 80s he Hawthorn Football Club thought they had two players destined for coaching greatness. One was Leigh Matthews, the other was Don Scott. When he began with South, he tried to change too much too soon, both club culture and game style. Hence, he failed. Why he never tried coaching anyone else I'll never understand.

Perhaps the experience put him off?

Adelaide Hawk wrote:When he began with South, he tried to change too much too soon, both club culture and game style. Hence, he failed.

Jeepers, no wonder he failed!

Sojourner wrote:

Adelaide Hawk wrote:When he began with South, he tried to change too much too soon, both club culture and game style. Hence, he failed.

Jeepers, no wonder he failed!

Yeah, it was an honest mistake. He only knew how to play one way, that was the Hawthorn way which was very hard and aggressive, and impossible to learn in 6 weeks. It would have taken years to be successful.

Adelaide Hawk wrote: He only knew how to play one way,

... so I hear

Mark Naley once said " Don Scott was light years ahead of any other coach he'd had up until that time"

Not a bad comment coming from one of the states better players of the time.

Pseudo wrote:

Adelaide Hawk wrote: He only knew how to play one way,

... so I hear

I would hate for people to get the wrong impression of Don Scott. Yes, he was a very different type of person, but he was a unique footballer. Why? Not because of any special talent but because of his ferocity and competitiveness. Without those two things it's doubtful he would have played 10 games, but he went on to reach 300.

He was ahead of his time in his dedication to physical fitness, and his application of psychological warfare on the field. Often he would pretend to be "psycho" on the field to throw off his opponents, in much the same manner as John McEnroe adopted in tennis.

Quite often Scott would come up against taller and more talented ruckmen, but would beat them due to his fierce desire and tunnel vision to success. He was the driving force behind Hawthorn's 3 premierships in the 70s, especially the last two in 1976 & 1978 when they overcame a more talented North Melbourne.

John Kennedy Snr claimed once that he would never criticise Scott for making mistakes because they only occured because he was trying too hard. In attitude, the man was ahead of his time in football. The SANFL and certainly South Adelaide just weren't ready for someone like Scott to turn their world upside down.