“I’M STILL IN SHOCK”: SCOTT REVEALS DEVASTATING LOSS OF BROTHER BEN AS CATS STAND UNITED
Geelong AFL head coach Chris Scott has made an emotional announcement about the tragic passing of his younger brother Ben in late 2016, his voice breaking as he admitted “I’m still in shock” while sharing the details of the devastating loss that forever changed his family.
Ben died suddenly from anaphylactic shock following a severe reaction to a nut allergy – a moment that left Chris and his twin brother Brad, a fellow former AFL coach, grappling with grief they say still weighs heavily today. In a raw, unscripted address to the media, Scott opened up about the pain of losing the youngest member of their family. “Ben was our rock, our cheerleader, the one who made everyone laugh even on the hardest days,” he said. “To lose him so suddenly, so unexpectedly – it’s something you never truly come to terms with.”
The Geelong football community has rallied around the Scott family since the news first emerged, with players, staff and supporters offering an outpouring of love and support. While the club did not confirm immediate leave arrangements at the time, sources close to the coach say he stepped back briefly to prioritise his family, with his assistant team ensuring the Cats’ campaign remained on track.
Scott’s return to the field has seen him forge one of the most remarkable coaching legacies in VFL/AFL history. Appointed in 2011, he led the Cats to a premiership in his debut season – a feat few coaches have achieved – before repeating the success in 2022. With a winning percentage of over 68%, he ranks among the game’s most consistent leaders, having guided Geelong to the finals in nearly every season of his tenure. Despite league equalisation measures designed to reduce the dominance of top clubs, Scott has kept the Cats as a perennial top contender for more than a decade, earning two All-Australian Coach honours along the way.
“Every time we run out onto Kardinia Park, I carry Ben with me,” Scott added. “His memory drives me to be better – as a coach, as a brother, as a person. That’s the legacy he deserves.”
The club has since launched a series of allergy awareness programs in Ben’s name, turning tragedy into action to protect others from similar heartbreak.
