Don Scott (footballer, born 1947)

Don W. Scott (born 20 December 1945) is a former Australian rules footballer who represented Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1960s and 1970s.

Over his 300-game career, Scott built a reputation as an aggressive ruckman and a team enforcer. As a leader, he led the Hawks to two premierships.

Early career[]

If Scott had not become a footballer, he very well might have become a champion horse rider. His father Doug was a schoolteacher and his grandfather was an avid horseman. At 16 years of age he won a jumping and riding prize at the Royal Melbourne Show on a horse he had trained himself.^[1] Throughout his football career and afterwards, Scott continued to be heavily involved in the equine industry, whether it was horse-rearing, merchandising equine products, or competing in showjumping.^[2]

Scott was educated at Blackburn High School.

Because of his aggressive style of play, Scott was a frequent visitor to the tribunal, whether he was the purported instigator or the victim; he was reported 15 times, but only suspended for a total of 11 matches.^[3]

Life after football and Operation Payback[]

In 1985 Scott took up the position of head coach at South Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). However, the playing group could not adapt to Scott's tough style of coaching and he quit after just six games in charge, all of them defeats.^[4]

After returning to Melbourne, Scott was recruited by television station Channel 7 to be an expert commentator for their VFL telecasts, including providing special comments during a number of Grand Finals.

In 1996, Scott was the founder of the "Operation Payback" campaign, which was ultimately successful in its efforts to prevent Hawthorn from merging with another AFL club, Melbourne. Scott rallied many supporters and former Hawthorn players in opposition to the proposed Melbourne Hawks formation.

In 2001 Scott was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

In March 2012 it was announced that Scott had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, but because he went for annual check-ups the cancer was detected early, which increased the likelihood of survival.^[5]

In August 2019 he joined a podcast with former Herald Sun Chief Football Writer Mike Sheahan and former footballer and media personality Sam Newman entitled "Sam, Mike and Don, You Can Not Be Serious". The podcast airs once weekly and covers all trending topics with some AFL and sport commentary. However, upon Sheahan quitting the podcast in June 2020 due to fallout from comments he made about former AFL footballer Nicky Winmar, its name was changed to "You Can Not Be Serious" ^[6]

In November 2019 the Hawthorn Football Club nominated Don Scott to become an official legend of the club however Scott refused to accept the award.

In July 2020, Scott alleged that the Hawthorn Football Club broke salary cap rules throughout their successful 80s dynasty utilising a secret Tasmanian bank account to retain players outside of the salary cap.^[7]

Honours and achievements[]

Hawthorn

• 3× VFL premiership player: 1971, 1976, 1978
• 2× Minor premiership: 1971, 1975

Individual

• 2× VFL premiership captain: 1976, 1978
• J.J. Dennis Memorial Trophy: 1973
• Hawthorn captain: 1976–1980
• Australian Football Media Association Player of the Year: 1977
• Australian Football Hall of Fame
• Hawthorn Hall of Fame
• Hawthorn life member
• Hawthorn Team of the Century

References[]

Bibliography[]

• Hansen, Brian; Dyer, Jack (1994). "Don "The Toff" Scott". Captain Blood's Wild Men of Football. 2. Mount Waverley: Brian Hansen Publications.
• Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2011). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: Every AFL/VFL Player Since 1897 (9th ed.). Seaford: Bas Publishing.

External links[]

• Profile at Australian Football
• AFL: Hall of Fame
• Don Scott's playing statistics from AFL Tables