Brad Scott Biography

Brad Scott is appointed as Essendon's new senior coach, and will leave his current post as the AFL's general manager of football to take on the role.

"Throughout the process, it was clear the club required a strong leader and Brad’s track record as a player, coach and administrator demonstrated this," Essendon president Dave Barham said.

"At the age of 46, Brad has an incredible resume, with a diverse range of roles and is the experienced figure the club required."

Nathan Buckley, Kane Cornes and Brad Scott join the All Australian selection panel for the 2022 AFL season.

Brad Scott will move from head of AFL Victoria to a newly created role in the AFL's football operations department under Andrew Dillon.

"Brad's transition from coaching to administrator over the last 18 months has impressed everyone he has worked with, both within our organisation, across the 18 clubs and within community football in Victoria," AFL chief executive officer Gillon McLachlan said.

"Brad has firsthand experience in dealing with all aspects of AFL football, from coming through our talent pathway program, to premiership player, assistant coach, senior coach and most recently as an AFL administrator, and his leadership and resilience throughout is what has set him apart."

Brad Scott is appointed as the AFL's competition evolution manager.

While assessing game trends with various stakeholders including players, coaches and analysts, Scott will also work closely with the Competition Committee.

There was significant emotion attached to Brad Scott's exit from Arden Street, particularly for Robbie Tarrant, who played his first 136 AFL games under the now-former coach of the Kangaroos.

"Playing under him for close to 10 years, you build that relationship," Tarrant said.

"I was obviously, along with all the other senior players, really close with Brad and he's done a lot for me over my career."

Brad Scott officially resigns as North Melbourne's senior coach, confirming that the decision that was mutually agreed upon at Arden Street two days earlier.

"At the moment, North Melbourne's future is anything but tumultuous," Scott said.

"We have removed all the (financial) impediments that existed 10 years ago and there's nothing but blue sky for North Melbourne.

"I'm extremely grateful those impediments were there, because they have helped guide me and the team around me, and even more so than ever I feel I know how to overcome them."

North president Ben Buckley said North's board members met this past Friday and "agreed with Brad that the time was right for him to step aside".

"Brad's offer to step aside is nothing short of selfless and honourable, terms befitting his character," Buckley said.

"Since he walked into the club at age 33, Brad has poured his heart and soul into this footy club…

"Brad leaves North Melbourne a true Shinboner and will always be part of our family. We're indebted to him for his service, his loyalty and of course his passion."

North Melbourne defeats the Western Bulldogs by 25 points in what will likely be Brad Scott's last match as head coach of the club.

"North Melbourne have given me an opportunity that very few people get. There is no doubt that there isn't a person, I don't care who you are, how good you are, what you've achieved in football, there isn't a single person in football that receives more than the club gives to them," Scott said after the match.

"We are really fortunate to do what we do. Every player gets more from the footy club than they are able to give.

"I can't thank North Melbourne enough for what they've been able to do for me and what they've given me, and I've loved every minute of it. This is a great club."

Brad Scott reaches an arrangement with senior North Melbourne officials that he will not coach the side in 2020, for which he is contracted.

"Life throws all sorts of difficulties in front of you. Everyone's going to have tough times in their lives and I always say you can't control those things, it's how you respond to them. That's what I'm focused on at the moment," Scott would say prior to coaching what will likely be his last match as head coach of the Kangaroos against the Western Bulldogs.

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott signs a two-year extension with the Kangaroos to remain as head coach of the club until the end of 2020.

Scott was most closely linked with the available Gold Coast job, and was even installed as favourite to claim the position with some bookmakers after the club and veteran coach Rodney Eade parted ways before the end of the season.

"From my perspective I've made my commitment to North Melbourne clear and I certainly wasn't keen to explore any other options," Scott said.

"It was purely to work out whether I was still the best fit for North Melbourne, and as soon as the club came to that conclusion then we very quickly got to this result."

Scott said he was more than comfortable with the process that led to his re-signing.

"The media speculation was out of control. It was always amusing to me that a lot of people were telling me what I was apparently doing when there was only one person who could answer that question, and that was me," he said.

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott dismisses accusations that the Kangaroos are tanking in 2017.

Scott's men have dropped seven matches in a row and an eighth against Melbourne this week would be their worst slide in 33 years.

"It's absolutely laughable," Scott said.

"You could get really offended, because it does question your integrity, to an extent, but it's just been so far removed from fact that I don't want to engage too much in it, other than to say it's absolutely untrue.

"We intend to do everything we can to win the next five games of this season and we've always done that."

Geelong premiership coach Chris Scott will coach Australia against Ireland later this year with his brother, North Melbourne's Brad Scott, and Fremantle's Ross Lyon alongside him as assistants.

"Having experienced this series as both a player and as a member of the coaching staff, I know first-hand how much this means to the people involved," Scott said.

"To be able to represent Australia and to grow the appeal of the game with the best players coming together, is a tremendous honour."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott is adamant he remains fully committed to heading up the rebuild at North Melbourne, who are winless in five games this season.

Scott is contracted until the end of the 2018 campaign, but raised some eyebrows after stating in a television interview earlier this week that he and the club would "keep analysing" whether he should coach again next year.

"Let me be unequivocal, my commitment to North Melbourne has never wavered and it's not wavering now," Scott said.

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott feels he is the right man to lead the club's transition despite its winless start to the season.

Although competitive, the Kangaroos are 0-5 for the first time since 1972 and have surrendered the lead in three matches despite leading at three-quarter time.

"I'm committed to doing what's best for North and if the club consistently feel that that's me, then that's what I'll be doing," Scott told Channel Nine.

"I'm really comfortable in my capability as a coach so if that's North Melbourne, fantastic, and if they still want me and I feel like I'm the best person for the job, that's where I'll be."

Geelong has given coach Chris Scott as much time as he needs before returning to pre-season training as he grieves the tragic death of his young brother, Ben.

Senior coaches Chris and North Melbourne's Brad Scott were left devastated by the death of their 37-year-old brother, who died of anaphylactic shock due to an unusual nut allergy in November.

"He’s going like any brother who has lost a brother," Cats CEO Brian Cook Cook said.

"He’s getting over it and it will take time. People get scarred with these things. He’ll get over it in his own way and in his own time."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott has declared he is ready to steer the club through a period of transition.

"I've been at the club for a fair period of time now, I've invested enormously in the club and they've invested in me as a young 33-year-old coach at the time," Scott told Channel Seven.

"I'm contracted for a further two years and I've always maintained I'll do the best thing for North Melbourne, and while they think that's me, then that's where I'll be."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott says he regrets announcing during the season that veterans Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito and Nick Dal Santo would not be offered contracts for 2017 by the club.

Scott said he stuck by his promise to inform the quartet as soon as possible, but acknowledged he would have waited until the Kangaroos' season had ended before making a public announcement.

"We were very disappointed that it was messaged the way it was but in terms of the players themselves, 'Boomer' [Harvey] in particular, he doesn't feel disrespected in any way, shape or form," Scott said.

"If I had my time again, I still would've told him because I gave him that commitment that I'd tell him, but I probably would've said, 'Mate, it's not the time now to announce it ? You know so you've got some clarity around the situation but for the club's sake, we need to announce this post-season'.

"No doubt the messaging to the members didn't go as we would've liked but in terms of the relationship with the players involved and the honesty and integrity that was shown, I have absolutely no issue with that."

The decision to axe AFL games record-holder Brent Harvey might have been unpopular but North Melbourne coach Brad Scott says it's his job to make the tough decisions.

"I've got a job to do and sometimes it's a tough job. It's a job where you're going to have some people agree and disagree, and that's leadership," Scott said.

"Leadership is making decisions that are not popular. Making the hard decision instead of the easy decision."

Umpires coach Hayden Kennedy says Lindsay Thomas deserved a free kick for high contact against Hawthorn, but disputes North Melbourne coach Brad Scott's statement that the umpires had deliberately chosen to ignore free kicks to Thomas.

Kennedy said the umpires were surprised at Scott's claims, which were later proven to be inaccurate and a case of miscommunication, with North Melbourne withdrawing the comments a day later.

"I was at the game and we've got match (communications) into our box, so we can hear everything that's been said by the umpires," Kennedy said.

"So I was pretty sure on the night that we hadn't stepped over the line in regards to that, and I was confident that we did everything how we're instructed to do it."

Contrite North Melbourne coach Brad Scott says he is remoreseful over the comments he had made about umpires refusing to pay free kicks to Lindsay Thomas and will accept whatever sanction the AFL hands down.

"I'm here to issue a public apology and whatever the AFL feel is an appropriate sanction, then I'll accept," Scott said.

"I assumed those comments to be matter of fact and I assumed they were right, but ultimately it's my responsibility to check those facts and I didn't and I chose to make the statements that I did.

"The apportion of blame falls squarely on my shoulders.

"There is certainly embarrassment because I've taken the attention away from where our football club would like it, and that's off our players."

Brad Scott launches an extraordinary outburst against the umpires after North Melbourne's nine-point loss to Hawthorn, with the North Melbourne coach claiming the officials have admitted they won't pay high free kicks to Lindsay Thomas.

Thomas was the subject of several controversial moments in the fiery Etihad Stadium clash and Scott made the remarkable revelation that umpires told his players the small forward wouldn't be rewarded for high contact.

"I know he is (unfairly treated), because the umpires told our players that, (saying) 'Well, he's a ducker, so we don't pay high free kicks to Lindsay'," Scott said post-match.

"They told our guys that, so that's clearly a preconceived idea.

"You just want the umpires to umpire what they see, not their preconceived ideas.

"That's for (umpires boss) Hayden Kennedy to deal with, not for me, I'm just telling you what happened because they won't tell you, that's for sure."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott has returned to work and is expected to coach against twin brother Chris in Saturday night's crucial clash against Geelong.

Scott was unable to coach against Richmond last Friday night after being hospitalised with a viral illness the night before.

Brad Scott is hospitalised due to a viral illness and will not coach against Richmond this week.

Assistant coach Darren Crocker will coach the side.

“Brad was not feeling well on his way to the airport yesterday and was forced to return home,” North Melbourne football director Geoff Walsh said in a statement.

“His condition worsened in the evening and he was attended to by the club doctor before being admitted to hospital for treatment and observation.”

Brad Scott signs a two-year contract extension to be head coach of North Melbourne until the end of 2018.

"I think if you look at all the really strong clubs over the last two decades, their strength comes from stability," Scott said.

"We've been able to build over the last five years and put a lot of things in place and we're really looking forward to our future. That stability gives all the coaches, all the players and administrators (confidence)that we are heading in the right direction."

Brad Scott will return to the North Melbourne coach's box this weekend after missing the club's past four games following back surgery.

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott has returned to work, but as planned won't resume match-day duties until the Roos' round 15 clash with Geelong.

Tasmania police has decided not to take action against North Melbourne coach Brad Scott over an alleged clash with a security guard at Blundstone Arena in May.

A media release from Tasmanian police said the investigation was dropped based on legal advice.

"The complainant alleged that he was kicked in the back while sitting down and was left with redness and soreness," the statement read.

"The legal advice was that, based on the evidence available, there would have been little prospect of conviction."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott will miss four matches after deciding to have back surgery following weeks of intense and "debilitating" pain.

Despite hoping medication and treatment would be able to manage his condition, the back concern has increased in recent weeks to the point he will go under the knife, which will see Scott sit out at least four games as North coach.

He is expected to be back coaching by round 15. The club hopes to have him back at Arden Street a week earlier, but he will not be able to fly to the Gold Coast for the Roos' clash with the Suns in round 14.

"The last two weeks, in particular, have been a pretty slippery slope to the point where it's pretty debilitating and it makes it impossible to function. Pain's one thing, but function's another," Scott said.

"I'm really disappointed that I have to miss games. But as I said, we've explored every possible alternative to this, and we're at the point where there is just simply no other alternative.

"The club has been fantastic and supportive, and we'll look back on this as a really minor thing and I'll be back on my feet in no time."

Melbourne coach Brad Scott is formally interviewed by Tasmanian police about the alleged assault of a security guard in Hobart.

Brad Scott remains tight-lipped about his alleged clash with a security guard at Hobart's Blundstone Arena.

"You're all aware that there have some allegations made, unfortunately there will be a police investigation now, so while I'd love to answer all your questions and give you a full version of events and actually tell you what happened, I can't," Scott said.

"Things will come out in the wash up.

"All I can say is, I absolutely welcome an investigation and look forward to putting the facts in the story."

A security guard has told police he was assaulted by a North Melbourne official around half-time of North Melbourne's match against Richmond in Hobart.

The Kangaroos are aware of the alleged incident, with coach Brad Scott understood to be seeking legal advice.

"The incident occurred around 2.35pm and involved a man who was working as a security guard and a person believed to be a North Melbourne official," Tasmanian police said in a statement.

North Melbourne is investigating claims Kangaroos coach Brad Scott was involved in an incident with a security guard at Blundstone Arena in Hobart.

Brad Scott says North Melbourne is not topping up its list to try and win a premiership before star veterans Brent Harvey and Drew Petrie retire.

And the North coach is confident the Roos' flag window won't close once Harvey, who turns 37 in May, and Petrie, 32, hang up their boots.

"We think that the next era of success for North Melbourne will be heavily influenced by Brent Harvey and Drew Petrie, whether they play in that successful period or not," Scott said.

"We've never taken our eyes off the future. We've invested really heavily in the draft, but we're looking to improve our list each year."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott will not get a 'please explain' for approaching the Brisbane Lions' Tom Rockliff after Saturday night's game at the Gabba.

Scott's action prompted criticism from commentators - and Rockliff - and there was speculation Scott's role in the incident may be investigated.

It is expected, however, AFL football operations manager Mark Evans will broach the issue this week with Scott in an informal manner to outline the League's concerns with coaches talking to opposition players on the ground.

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott has defended his decision to approach Tom Rockliff after the final siren on Saturday night because he spoke to the Brisbane Lions midfielder in a controlled manner.

"You walk a very fine line as a coach when you talk to an opposition player, a very, very fine line," Scott said.

"I understand that if you approach an opposition player with aggression or emotion or in an irrational manner there is a potential for disaster, so you do walk a very, very fine line but the line I was walking along was calm and rational.

"I think it's a recipe for disaster when emotions are running high but I want to make that crystal clear: I wasn't emotional, I wasn't aggressive, I was really calm."

Tom Rockliff has criticised North Melbourne coach Brad Scott over their on-field confrontation in the wake of Saturday night's four-point win by the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba in what was to be a farewell to club great Jonathan Brown.

The North Melbourne coach was seen having tense words with Rockliff on-field in the moments after the upset win.

This came on the back of a more heated exchange between the Lions' vice-captain and Kangaroo veteran Brent Harvey.

"He had his opinion on it, that's fine," Rockliff said.

"(I was) A little bit surprised. I think a different time probably to do it … when Browny was receiving his jumper I don't think it was a really good time, but that was his call."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott has hit out at the AFL's power clubs for negotiating a reduced equalisation package.

"I like that we're talking about it. I think it's the first step. It's by no means the final step and I think that the big clubs successfully negotiated what they wanted," Scott said.

"They knew there was going to be something done and they wanted to make sure it wasn't as significant as it probably needed to be.

"I don't think anyone is saying that this is going to be the answer and it's going to fix the problem of equalisation."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott overrules his medical team by insisting Lindsay Thomas be taken from the ground during Sunday's win over West Coast.

The skilful forward appeared to have strained his right hamstring during the third quarter of the match at Patersons Stadium, but came back on to the ground after receiving treatment.

He came from the ground a few minutes later seemingly at Scott's request and signalled to the medical staff that his night was over before being subbed out of the game.

"He just cramped in his hamstring, so I was a little [hesitant] … we have got, we think the best medical, physio team in the country, but when they put him back on, I was a bit disappointed because he's an important player to us," Scott said.

"We didn't want to risk him. But they're so confident in their ability that they thought he was fine.

"I never overrule a medical decision if it's to say he can't come back on, but I can overrule [a decision] to put him back on, so I did. But we think he will be all right next week."

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley apologises to Brad Scott and Lindsay Thomas for his controversial remarks following Thomas' bump on Ben Reid.

"When you cast aspersions over opposition players it's never a good thing, but when that criticism is wrong it makes it even worse," Scott said.

"To Nathan's eternal credit he's called me (and) he's apologised to me, which I didn't think he had to do.

"He apologised to me and to our football club, but more importantly he rang Lindsay Thomas and apologised to him. So I think that speaks volumes for the type of person he is."

A war of words erupts between Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley and North Melbourne coach Brad Scott after a bump by Lindsay Thomas leaves Ben Reid concussed from a head clash.

"It was off the ball and it was unprovoked. We'll see how it settles," Buckley said.

"Commentary like that doesn't help. I don't know what incident Nathan Buckley saw, but a head clash is a head clash," Scott replied angrily.

"'Bucks' should just keep his opinions to himself when it comes to things that will be taken care of by the powers that be."

Thomas is subsequently cleared by the Match Review Panel.

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott has been handed a suspended $5000 fine for his tirade at Giant James McDonald last weekend.

"I understand that as a senior coach it is important to set the right example on the field," Scott said in a statement issued by the club.

"I will always defend my players, but acknowledge the manner in which I approached James McDonald during a break in play on the weekend in Sydney was unacceptable in the circumstances."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott verbally abuses James McDonald after the Giants veteran crashed heavily into the back of young Roo defender Jamie Macmillan but says he is unrepentant about it.

" I'll never apologise for defending my players. I'll go into bat for them 100 per cent of the time," Scott said.

"I was disappointed in what happened. I was disappointed in the response and my default setting is always to defend my players."

North Melbourne has rewarded head coach Brad Scott with a pay rise and an additional year on his contract which has been extended until the end of 2013.

"Brad came on board at 33 years of age and an untried, first-time coach so at that time your bloke had a pretty good rate, but he's been unbelievably good and ticked every box as far as we're concerned," Kangaroos chairman James Brayshaw said.

"We're all pushing in the same direction. It's just further affirmation we're all heading in the same direction."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott responds to Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade after the latter was critical of tactics used by Kangaroos players to unsettle his side.

"We had two players with severe head cuts, there were a lot of cheap shots off the ball all day and our players were very disciplined," Eade had said about the match between the two sides.

"I thought the discipline and our character showed through and that's why we had such a big win."

Scott took offense to Eade's comments, labelling them "disappointing".

"Comments made by Rodney Eade after the match suggesting our players took 'cheap shots' off the ball are categorically incorrect and disappointing from such an experienced coach," Scott said.

"They strike at the heart and integrity of our playing group; they are factually incorrect and are without foundation."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott knows from his playing days that Jason Akermanis has a habit of putting his teammates under pressure and believes he has done it again after a controversial article in the Herald Sun where Akermanis states that gays in AFL clubs should remain in the closet.

"He's put more pressure on his teammates," Scott said as North Melbourne prepare to play Akermanis' club, the Western Bulldogs.

"Aker's had a history of responding fairly well when he is under pressure, but I know his teammates wouldn't be happy, and I know that first hand."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott embarks on a fact-finding mission in the United States by meeting with the national ski team, ice hockey outfit Buffalo Sabres and NFL team New England.

"I was interested in the next thing they're doing, that's now our intellectual property and will stay that way," Scott said.

"But it'll be interesting to see if the new innovations they're bringing in come into football.

"We've got to apply all those ideas we've got now."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott says his team's new state-of-the-art training facility will put pressure on the side to perform.

"It really does add a little bit of pressure to perform but I think that's a good thing," he said.

"We play in an environment and an industry where pressure is part of it. We have equal opportunity if not better than most [clubs], so those excuses are gone. I think the players are going to thrive on the challenge."

North Melbourne has appointed Shane Watson as backline coach and Jason Lappin as a development coach.

"Both appointments are very much in line with our philosophy to create the best learning and development environment in the AFL," North Melbourne coach Brad Scott said.

"Shane comes very highly regarded and has a tremendous ability to coach young players.

"Jason was extremely impressive throughout the interview process and he brings an intimate knowledge of AFL footy through his experience at the Western Bulldogs. [He] brings a terrific mix to our football club."

Darren Crocker is signed up by new North Melbourne coach Brad Scott as an assistant coach for the next two seasons.

"I'm very happy, and I suppose with everything that has gone on I am a bit chuffed that Brad wanted me on board," Crocker said.

Following the end of the 2009 season, the Kangaroos tell assistant coaches Daniel Daly, Darren Bewick, Anthony Rock and development coach Dave Newett that their services are no longer required under new coach Brad Scott.

North Melbourne assistant coach Darren Bewick is prepared for whatever turn his career may take under new coach Brad Scott.

"Hopefully I've demonstrated enough and have a skill set that someone thinks might be worthwhile having a look at," Bewick said.

"Unfortunately, it's a bit of wait and see at the moment."

Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse is confident the club can cover for the loss of midfield coach Brad Scott.

"That hole, we can't just turn our toes up. Nothing is really going to change much in terms of strategies, because we are not locked in to one single system week in, week out," he said.

"We analyse the opposition, and we change our course of mid zones as well as who goes in there.

"That will still come from me, and it will go to in this case, Blake Caracella, and those three blokes that spend the most time in there."

North Melbourne's caretaker coach Darren Crocker is unperturbed at missing out on a permanent job as head coach of North Melbourne after the recent appointment of Brad Scott.

''It's been a tremendous opportunity for me to coach senior football for half a year. There's only 16 senior coaches at any one time and I've been one of those for half a season, so from an experience perspective and a personal-development perspective it's been a wonderful opportunity,'' Crocker said.

''To Brad's credit he's basically said the next two weeks is about this coaching panel and us finishing the job that we started, and then he'll come in and obviously speak to the playing group after that.''

Nathan Buckley will not fill the void left by the departure of former Collingwood assistant Brad Scott who has taken up the head coaching position at North Melbourne until next season.

"If I was at the club now and had been part of the club, I'd be recommending that the current coaches can fill the void that Brad has left," Buckley said.

"There's a lot of leadership in the playing group that I reckon will be able to cover that as well."

North Melbourne skipper Brent Harvey says newly appointed senior coach Brad Scott's aggressive playing style would rub off nicely at the Roos.

"That is probably good and something we need at the footy club - a really hard edge - and if he brings that to our group I reckon it's going to be great," Harvey said.

"He's pretty young, we've got a young group obviously and I think it's going to be a good relationship."

North Melbourne announces Brad Scott as their new head coach.

Scott will leave his current position as assistant coach of Collingwood immediately after signing a three-year contract to coach the Kangaroos.

"I've been under some great coaches. I want to create a learning environment for the players to be the best they can be," Scott said.

"North's list is very young and very exciting and there's a lot of scope for improvement."

Kangaroos chairman James Brayshaw said that Scott's determination for success was a major factor in the decision to appoint him as coach of the club.

"We needed, I thought, someone who had a furnace in the pit of their guts, basically," Brayshaw said.

"Someone who wouldn't sleep until they'd achieved success for themselves and this footy club and for our list.

"We also needed someone who was a leader, who could put a stake in the ground and say to the blokes in this room, 'This is the direction we're headed and you're coming with me'."

Collingwood assistant coach Brad Scott praises Alan Didak for keeping his cool despite constant niggling from Tiger Jake King.

King's attempts to unsettle Didak followed Hawk Ben McGlynn's efforts a few weeks ago when McGlynn was able to get under the forward's skin in Collingwoods loss to Hawthorn.

"Everyone highlighted the fact that McGlynn got under his skin against Hawthorn, and we knew Richmond would try and do the same to him again today," Scott said after the match.

"He responded brilliantly. We were rapt with his efforts both offensively and defensively, and to hold his nerve under pressure.

"Today he was completely in control of every situation. Players tried to get under his skin, it didn't affect him, and the game was played on his terms and our terms."

Assistant coach Brad Scott has defended ruckman Josh Fraser, who 'broke even' with Anzac Medallist Patrick Ryder.

"I've said to Josh, 'You play high-level sport then you expect criticism at some stage'," Scott said.

"Grant Thomas is a respected ex-coach who’s entitled to his opinion. You know, it's not one I happen to agree with, but the criticism that Josh has received he's got to deal with and move on."

Collingwood assistant coach Brad Scott expects Geelong to bring its A game to Friday night's NAB Cup grand final.