"We’re off and we have some problems we need to fix" - Geelong Cats boss Chris Scott offers blunt critique following humbling Gold Coast Suns defeat
Geelong Cats coach Chris Scott admitted his side has some problems that need fixing after a record-breaking loss to Gold Coast Suns in Round 10 on Thursday (May 16). The Cats suffered one of the worst defeats in the club's history when they lost 164-100 to the Suns at the TIO Stadium in Darwin.
The 164 score was Geelong's highest score conceded since 1994 when they lost 174-109 to Melbourne. It was also the biggest score ever conceded in the Chris Scott era.
Geelong Cats began the season in red-hot form. They won all games from Round 1 to Round 7, but have now lost their last three matches, culminating in the disappointing loss to the Suns.
Chris Scott rendered a blunt analysis while speaking recently on his side's recent performance. The 48-year-old admitted the Cats have been abysmal the past couple of weeks. He acknowledged that they are lacking in some areas which need to be worked on (via Fox Footy).
Scott said:
"We’ve been aware for a good three weeks now, besides 15 minutes (against Port Adelaide) that we’ve been a little bit off.
"We got beaten by some good players around the ball. It was a very unusual scoreline, to give up that many is unusual for us and the stats aren’t any better for us."
He continued:
"We didn’t get our hands on the ball and we didn’t handle the conditions well enough, from our point of view. It’s not like we have a history of playing this poorly.
"It’s clear that we’re off and we have some problems we need to fix. It’s a balance between not glossing over it, and we’re not going to do that, but we’re also not going to overreact."
Chris Scott downplays umpiring decisions in Geelong Cats' loss to Gold Coast Suns
Geelong Cats coach Chris Scott downplayed the influence of the umpiring decisions in his side's 164-100 loss to Gold Coast Suns in Round 10.
The Suns were awarded 25 freekicks in the tie, 11 more than the Cats. However, coach Scott who complained about the umpiring in the Cats' Round 9 loss to Port Adelaide said the focus should be on issues in footy rather than the umpires as they are also prone to mistakes.
He said:
"It’s not about umpires and decisions, it’s quite clear it’s a hard game to umpire and lots of mistakes will be made, that’s the same for players, that’s the nature of our game.
"But there’s stuff about how the laws are interpreted and the way the game is played and how we want to coach our players that are worthy of discussion and debate."
Geelong Cats will next square off against GWS Giants at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, May 25.