Two-time North Melbourne premiership player David King says he is confused why North Melbourne need to make a statement and re-sign Brad Scott now despite still having over a year left on his current contract.
Scott’s position as the long-term coach of the Roos remains in doubt, with reports that he is in-demand at both Collingwood and the Gold Coast Suns should they both opt to move on current coaches Nathan Buckley and Rodney Eade.
However King says that his former club do not need to act at all on Scott for the next 12 months as he is adamant he is fully committed to the rebuild the club are currently undertaking.
“They have been pretty clear in saying they are playing the kids. I don’t see where the confusion is,” he said on SEN’s The Run Home.
“Why do they have to say ‘keep away’? He’s contracted for next year. What do you expect him to say? It’s ridiculous.
“The logic is that Collingwood and Gold Coast are going to move on their coach, and then all of a sudden North Melbourne, who have a contracted coach, have to answer questions to appease everyone else. They may be perfectly comfortable with where everything sits with him, so why do they need to get involved in the conversation?”
“He made a clear decision at the end of the last year that this campaign for a premiership was over, time to move on the older guys…start the next generation and find out whether they are good enough.
“He has delivered on at least his promise…I’m not sure what more they can say other than he’s our man and he’s got a contract.
“I don’t think North Melbourne have to answer just because we have called them.”
Former Kangaroos midfielder Nick Dal Santo also came to the defence of his old coach at the club, saying that he liked and respected Scott and never had an issue with him during his three years in the blue and white.
“There’s nothing that Brad Scott does that I ever looked at and I go ‘geez, I wish he did this, this and this, or focused on these areas a little bit more,” he said on SEN Breakfast.
“Brad’s greatest quality is that he is an educator. I remember the first time out with him I was shocked at his demeanour in regards to what he was like as a player…his ability to make a complex situation nice and simple for players to understand and to try and execute.
“He backed in his system and as the playing group, we backed that in as well.”