Scott on how he is feeling

I am never calm going into games, but I try to exude an air of calmness.

I think the players are the same, it would be naive to think that it just another game and what will be, will be. Personally I tend to think it is better to embrace the occasion, because it is very hard to run away from it and pretend it is something else.

But at the other end of the spectrum, there is being too anxiety riddled by the occasion and I think that would be the point that they are making, that we feel like there is a collective confidence amongst the group.

Especially over the last two months, we have had pretty good cohesion and it is very likely that we will play a very similar team to the one we have played over the last couple of months.

You don't get to choose your opposition necessarily but we feel like we have given ourselves a chance, so that hopefully does lead to some quiet confidence. 

Scott on the difference 12 months can make

I was thinking about it a little bit during the week, because we have had some good games against Brisbane in the past.

I tend not to look too far back, but about a year is still pretty relevant and I am sure that they are better, albeit a little bit different. They have got some injuries to players that I am sure they would like to have out there.

But I am also sure that we are better as well.

It is more than just Bailey [Smith], but he is a big part of it. It sets the game up even more I think, because it is not as if you have got one team hanging on and the other emerging.

I think it is a reasonable observation to say that both teams are an improvement on the versions from 12 months ago. 

Scott on the Round 15 clash against Brisbane

Without relitigating the whole thing, they played well.

I think they might have been beaten the week before, they have got a bit of history of that in recent times. They were beaten by the Swans the week before we played the Swans, then went over to Fremantle and put in an outstanding performance over there.

But at the same time, we think there are some things that happened in that game that we think are unlikely to be repeated.

It is still relevant and we certainly looked at it. I think both teams know each other pretty well so again, unlikely to be too many surprises in terms of the way the teams go about it.

We are certainly not hiding away from the fact that they have beaten us twice this year, but I think that is a product of them having been a pretty good team. It is no disgrace to have been beaten by them, I don't think either of the games give us reason to think that on our day we can't beat them. 

Scott on the budding rivalry

I just can't see anyway that they are not going to be towards the top of the competition over the next few years.

So to have a good rivalry, you need to play your part. If that can endure for a little while, it probably indicates that we have done our bit.

Over a decent period of time now, I am even thinking back to the Covid period, we have had some good games against them.

We certainly consider it to be a privilege to get to play them again in the first week of the Finals, because if they are not the best team, I am not sure who is.