Fox Footy’s Gerard Whateley believes that head coaches are bound by an “absurd” clause within the league’s recently renewed Illicit Drug Policy (IDP).
It comes after Chris Scott was probed on the continued absence of his premiership star Tyson Stengle on Wednesday, with the small forward yet to play at any level professionally in 2026.
Watch every match of every round of the AFL Premiership Season LIVE and ad-break free during play on FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
“I don’t have a problem with the media speculating, but they are speculating with less information than I have — and I have less information than other people at the club have, who probably have less information than the AFL have,” Scott told journalists at Kardinia Park when questioned on Stengle.
“It’s reasonable to say in this situation, more so than say (Gryan Miers’) situation, you’re just asking the wrong person. One, if I had good information, I probably wouldn’t tell you anyway because I’d consider it to be private. But, this is one where I genuinely don’t know.”
The Cats are continuing to manage him through an ‘individualised program’, as per their weekly injury report.
Whateley, host of AFL 360, shed light on the updated IDP which will leave coaches in the dark with certain off-field issues their players may be dealing with.
“What we just saw there (from Scott), and I think not accidentally, was the illustration of the absurdity of the AFL’s Illicit Drug Policy as it relates to senior coaches,” Whateley said.
Scott won’t give Stengle return date | 03:45
“That policy was unveiled last month, and it includes a clause that there’s a $250,000 fine should a senior coach be brought into the loop on the specific information on the breach of the Illicit Drugs (Policy). The changes were the president, the footy manager and CEO can know — and we know that the club doctor and psychologist are the point figures.
“But, if the senior coach is brought into that loop, it comes with a quarter of a million dollar fine. I’m told there was guffawing in the briefing when that was unveiled. I think Ken Hinkley described it best as being ‘typical’, the AFL’s attitude towards senior coaches.
“He said it was ‘crazy’ that players come to their senior coaches for everything, and there’s nothing a coach wouldn’t do to help his player. But, when it comes to potentially the biggest crisis in a player’s life, the coach is specifically excluded.
“What would’ve been interesting today, is if Chris Scott had sat there and illustrated that he did know precisely what was going on with Tyson Stengle, would that have left Geelong open to a quarter of a million dollar fine?”
Stengle has played 93 games at Geelong in four full seasons at the club, after brief stints at both Richmond and Adelaide in the early days of his career.
In the club’s most recent premiership year of 2022, he kicked 53 goals and earned his maiden All-Australian jacket.
Scott fires back at Miers speculation | 02:38
“They are unbelievably proud of what Tyson Stengle has been able to do at that football club,” Melbourne great Garry Lyon said.
“They think that where he’s come from, his history, background, what he’s achieved — they think he’s remarkable, and it’s something they’re unbelievably proud of. It’s something they want to celebrate every time he gets to the line.
Whateley ended by saying: “It’s a long way back. It’s not impossible to get back, but it’s a long way back once it gets to this position.”
Discussion about this post