In Jim Main's series, 'Swan Songs', this week he talks to former Swans centreman and caretaker coach, Brett Scott...

Brett Scott
Born: April 10, 1962
Played: 1981-88
Games: 59
Goals: 44

Former Swan centreman Brett Scott believes he can lay claim to an unusual football record - as the last working senior VFL/AFL coach.

Scott was a warehouse manager when he took over as coach for two games following the sacking of Gary Buckerana in 1993.

Scott explained: “I was assistant coach with Michael Byrne, who was the reserves coach, when Bucky went and, for some reason, I got the nod even though I had a full-time job.

“It was extremely difficult as I had to work until four o’clock each day and then rush to training. Also, there was not the number of back-up coaches clubs have these days. They now seem to have a coach for every player.”

Scott recalled how he and club secretary Kevin Egan were the only two in the coach’s box in his two games in charge - against Fitzroy and North Melbourne, both at Princes Park.

“We got thrashed in both matches, but we really didn’t have much on-field talent at that time and the defeats were par for the course.”

Scott knew and understood that his coaching tenure was temporary and, after his two-match stint, handed the reins over to the legendary Ron Barassi.

The football world knew soon after Buckenara’s departure that Barassi would coach the Swans and, during the Kangaroos-Swans game at Princes Park, the former Carlton and North premiership coach was sitting in one of the Princes Park grandstands taking notes.

Scott remained Barassi’s assistant for a couple of months, but realised that it was becoming increasingly difficult to combine football and work and stepped aside.

The Swans therefore did not see the best of Scott as player or coach, through no fault of his own.

Scott joined the Swans from NSW country zone club The Rock-Yerong Creek and showed from his debut season of 1981 that he was a class above the average recruit.

However, he had to have a shoulder reconstruction in his second season and then ran into recurring hamstring problems, restricting him to just 59 games over eight seasons.

But, when fit, Scott was equal to any centreman in the competition - an elegant footballer with tremendous skills and a penetrating kicking style.

Having struggled with injuries for most of his playing career, Scott saw the writing on the wall when Greg Williams joined the Swans from Geelong in 1986 and realised only one of them could hold down the centre position.

“Williams probably is rated the best centreman the game has seen and, with my hamstring problems, I gave it away in 1988,” Scott said.

Scott was appointed captain-coach of local club Sydney University in 1990 but, after just eight games he ran into even more serious injury problems and had to have a knee reconstruction.

Scott spent two seasons with Sydney University and then gave football away to concentrate on work and family commitments.

The former Swan and wife Libby have three children - Mitchell (18), Georgia (16) and Maddison (11), and he is still working for the same company, but now as a Customer Engagement Manager in the food industry.

His only involvement in football has been coaching Mitchell’s St Ives Under 16s a few years ago and occasionally watching the Swans.

“I have not been able to get to many games as I have spent the past 10 years or so driving my children around to various sports commitments and watching them in action,” he explained.

“But I do follow the Swans very closely and catch up with a group of former teammates, including Dennis Carroll, Rod Carter, Craig Holden and David Murphy, three or four times a year.

“They are fun meetings as we like to talk about old times as well as discuss how the Swans currently are going.”