AFL news 2023: Chris Scott sparks debate with criticism of MCG surface in Geelong Cats loss

The MCG floor underwent a $1m restore job forward of Spherical 1 of the AFL season, with round 10,000 sq. metres of floor needing to be labored on within the wake of an Ed Sheeran live performance the week prior.Watch each match of each spherical of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports activities. New to Kayo? Begin your free trial now >Talking in his post-match press convention, Scott insisted it will be “distasteful” for a shedding coach to speak concerning the floor.“Yeah I feel it’s an fascinating dialogue for others to have, however it’s distasteful if the coach of the shedding workforce talks concerning the floor, however it’s worthy of debate I feel,” Scott instructed reporters.Nonetheless on the very subsequent query Scott was enticed into a solution, though he did his greatest to fastidiously craft the criticism as merely ‘relaying suggestions from his gamers’.“I’m relaying this – and I‘ve acquired an opinion I’m going to maintain to myself – however the situation is that there are variations on the bottom now,” Scott mentioned.“Some bits which are actually agency and you may preserve your toes and different bits which are actually delicate and you may’t preserve your toes.“I suppose the purpose that’s raised – and once more, it’s not a criticism, it’s not my space – however it’s been a very long time for the reason that grand last.“It’s the largest recreation within the land and it’s the very best floor on the planet in my opinion, so to compromise a floor is an odd resolution to make voluntarily.“If stuff occurs, and the climate is past your management, honest sufficient, however it was an personal purpose I reckon.”The reply instantly sparked a dialogue on-line with some followers arguing the state of the pitch was a “shame” which deserved to be referred to as out.“Each groups slipping round all night time, honest sufficient,” one fan wrote on Twitter.“Why play a live performance on the G inside per week earlier than footy season,” wrote one other.Nonetheless others insisted it was a transparent minimize case of Scott being a poor loser.“How about they only acquired overwhelmed by a greater facet on the night time. Each groups performed on the identical floor,” a fan wrote.James Massola, the Nationwide Affairs Editor on the SMH and The Age, went so far as declaring Scott to be “essentially the most graceless loser within the AFL” in a Twitter response to the press convention remark.In the meantime, Scott mentioned he was assured Esava Ratugolea’s efficiency steered he was set for a giant 12 months in defence.The previous ahead was one of many Cats’ greatest as he saved Collingwood’s Dan McStay very quiet.“I assumed he was excellent,” Scott mentioned.“I place a extremely excessive worth on these guys that may get up behind the ball.“I’m enthusiastic about what he can do … possibly we should always’ve pulled the set off on him (going) again slightly bit earlier as a result of he simply appears to be like like a again to me.”New Cats Ollie Henry and Tanner Bruhn additionally produced loads of trigger for optimism for Scott.“I preserve reminding myself that he (Henry) and Tanner Bruhn are 20 and hopefully they’re going to play loads of good footy for the Cats,” Scott mentioned.Whereas McRae was proud of the consequence, he wasn’t getting too carried away.“We’re underneath no phantasm that it’s Spherical 1, we’ve acquired an extended strategy to go, there’s no patterns of behaviours but round something,” he mentioned.And Scott wasn’t urgent the panic button but, both.“(It was) extra Spherical 1 rust I feel for us than (our) system breaking down, and we had some guys that had been off which have earned the appropriate for us to stick with them for a bit,” Scott mentioned.- With NCA NewswireOriginally printed as Chris Scott sparks debate with criticism of MCG floor