Chris Scott taken to task over 'defence' Bailey Smith amid repeated controversies

7NEWS

a day ago

Geelong coach Chris Scott says he has a 'different view' to that of Bailey Smith critics in the wake of a controversial start to his career at the Cattery.
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon personally drove down to Smith's house on the surf coast last week — a story broken by 7NEWS Melbourne's Mitch Cleary on Sunday — to discuss his behaviour on and off the field.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Caroline Wilson takes Chris Scott to task over Bailey Smith.
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Of particular concern was a comment he made on social media which explicitly referenced taking drugs.
The AFL opted not to penalise the explosive midfielder for the now-deleted Instagram comment, instead warning Smith that he would be sanctioned should a similar incident arise.
Smith was fined for two separate obscene gestures to fans during Gather Round and Easter Monday matches this year.
Caroline Wilson took Scott to task on Tuesday night's episode of The Agenda Setters over his defence of Smith, saying he has been too sympathetic of him.
'You've been incredibly defensive of him — I think too defensive,' she said.
'I know that you defend your players, and all coaches do that, but I was so disappointed that he equated winning a premiership with potentially going out and taking drugs.
'And obviously, sometimes, you must find yourself wondering how strong you have to be to stick up for your player and maybe put your principles aside, because I just don't believe that's something you would ever do.'
Scott said it's something he has given great thought to.
'I think about it a lot. And I would just challenge your assertion that that's what he did,' he said.
'I think he responded to a troll in the way that modern day players respond to trolls.
'I think it was a joke and it should have been intended that way.
'Because of his history, that's why he gets targeted by these sorts of people and these sorts comments.'
Wilson interjected: 'Andrew Dillon didn't think it was a joke.'
To which Scott responded: 'No, but he's entitled to his opinion as well.
'I would challenge that as well; I think they understand that it was a joke that fell flat.
'And Bailey understood almost immediately that that was something that he shouldn't have done.
'Our fundamental position on this is that we've got to remember that he's 23 — and other players that we've brought in as well — we were never taking the position that these guys were going to be perfect, and so we knew that we needed to ride with the punches a little bit.
'I think it comes back to how you think about changing behaviour.'
Scott was at pains to make the distinction that what the club says publicly about the issue is different to how they're treating it internally.
'Why would you take the position that our football club just thought, 'No, no, that's fine — we'll just let that slide',' Scott said to Wilson.
'Just because we don't come out publicly and embarrass our players and rub salt into the wounds, doesn't mean that that conversation hasn't been had.
'And now you know that even Andrew Dillon's recognised the importance of Bailey to the game, and I think it's reinforced how important the game is to Bailey as well. And I think you'll see a change in this sort of behaviour which, in my view, is right at the margin, in terms of seriousness.
'Now, you have a different view. But we run our football club differently to the way you would.'