Footy legend tears into ‘juvenile’ AFL coach over ’embarrassing’ comments about scandal – as things get tense in the Channel 7 studio over the saga

Collingwood great Tony Shaw has torched Chris Scott in a fiery rant in which he branded the Geelong bosses’ comments regarding Oscar Allen’s secret meeting with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell ‘juvenile’.

Allen, who was appointed as West Coast’s co-captain alongside Liam Duggan in 2023, is expected to become a restricted free agent in 2026 but has drawn scrutiny from many in the footy world for opting to meet with Mitchell notably while the Eagles are struggling for form.

The Eagles forward confirmed that he had met with the Hawks boss during a press conference last week in which he spoke of his remorse over the move. The 26-year-old forward said he had not acted as a leader but would continue to lead Andrew McQualter’s side as they look to bounce back from going 0-4 at the start of the 2025 season.

Scott, meanwhile, hit back at commentators including James Hird and Rory Sloane who slammed Allen over the meeting, with the Cats boss calling their criticism ‘nonsense’ while adding that West Coast players that had an issue with Allen’s decision should ‘grow up.’

But Shaw, who made 313 appearances for the Magpies and took charge of the club between 1996 and 1999, lashed back at Scott.

‘This is one for the Geelong oracle – that’s not the name of a newspaper down in Geelong – the Geelong Oracle is the new name I have given Chris Scott,’ Shaw said to 3AW on Monday.

‘That’s because Chris Scott came out – and this was about the Oscar Allen and Sam Mitchell meeting – and Chris Scott came out, and I don’t know how he did this, he said anybody before the year 2000 has to grow up because they don’t understand what free agency is about.

‘I want to tell him that it was really embarrassing what he said. It’s so juvenile to think that anybody can’t think before the 2000s. I’m telling you now any 13-year-old kid now, that likes football, knows what free agency is – but it doesn’t mean that you have to like it.

‘When you have this situation here and he said that everybody has to grow up, right, I want Chris Scott to think. He’s a new coach. He didn’t just fall into the very successful era after Geelong – well they were still in that era when he won his first premiership.

Shaw then compared Scott’s coaching tenure to that of McQualter’s.

‘This is a bloke who has been in this role for four weeks, Andrew McQualter, four weeks,’ he said.

‘He’s had six months [at the club]. He’s got a bloke who he says: “I think you could be a great captain.” He knows he’s a free agent. He knows he could lose him. But he picks him as captain.

‘Four weeks down the track, here is that captain out with another coach talking about his future.’

Shaw then diverted back to Scott.

‘To think again, the juvenile thing from Chris Scott is that he comes out and says: “Ah, he could have been discussing his golf swing”.

‘Does he think we’re all idiots? Fans, ex-players – he didn’t say ex-players – commentators, I don’t care what it is. 

‘We all know what free agency is, we know how it goes. But it doesn’t mean that we have to like it.

‘And then what do they do? This bloke, Oscar Allen, I don’t care, Oscar’s probably a lovely bloke, it’s not really his fault.

‘But then Oscar comes out and says, and this is to show how Chris is way off the mark here: “I have sincere apologies…” – he gets up in front of the playing group and says this.

‘”It was an embarrassment what I did and it wasn’t in the best interests of myself or the club.”

‘In other words, he knew what he did. Four weeks into the season when your coach depends on you to be a leader and a conduit.’

Shaw then addressed the Geelong boss directly: ‘Chris Scott… come down from the ivory tower which is alphabet stadium and come down a few levels to the real world – because it’s not happening.’

 

Things get heated in the Channel 7 studio

Following Geelong’s win against Melbourne this weekend, Scott issued a firm response on the matter of free agency and players talking to rival clubs.

‘I rail against this idea that we need to modify all our behaviour because of the perception that other people dictate,’ Scott said to reporters.

‘One, grow up, the old timers who just can’t bear this stuff that opposition teams could be talking to their teammates.

‘Is it a good look? The people who don’t like it probably don’t know the system that well.

‘I would kind of say get with the program, but it’s kind of good fodder, isn’t it?’

But Shaw isn’t the only person Scott angered with his comments, with Channel 7’s Caroline Wilson laying into the footy coach on The Agenda Setters on Monday night.

‘I’d like to make this point to Chris Scott and every other elder statesman of the game, telling those traditionalists, who didn’t like the Oscar Allen saga last week to grow up,’ Wilson began.

‘Chris, you might have thought that you were talking to footy commentators but in fact, you were talking to supporters – the same supporters who stuck by their clubs and didn’t ask for their money back even when times got really tough during the pandemic.

‘The same members who sign on every year even during a cost of living crisis. Those are the same supporters and members who make up Andrew Dillon’s much-flaunted record crowds and record ratings. The same supporters, particularly younger ones who have every right to believe in the loyalty of their captain.

‘Chris, it might not be rational, it might not be mature but what about this game we love really is. Let’s not toy too much with everything that is magical about Australian footy.

But that’s when things got a little heated in the Channel 7 studio between Wilson and Craig Hutchison – who disagreed with The Age reporter on her comment.

‘Captains shouldn’t be discriminated against because they are out of contract and the club won’t give them a longer deal,’ Hutchison said.

Hutchison then added: ‘Parading him in that press conference was embarrassing.’

Wilson agreed that West Coast had not garnered themselves in glory, but clapped back at Hutchison.

‘West Coast has behaved appallingly,’ she added. ‘But for just one minute can I remind you, you cynical commercial commentator and businessman, that this is not about you – this is about the people who make up this game and pay the money to go and see it.’

Hutchison added: ‘The people who pay the money aren’t sitting at home moaning and groaning about Oscar Allen?’

Nick Riewoldt interjected saying: ‘West Coast are, of course they are!’

‘Can you imagine if Nick had done that as St Kilda captain? Can you imagine how St Kilda fans would have felt? Chris [Scott] is showing them [Eagles fans] no respect at all,’ she added.