Scott says Clark wasn't sledged

Geelong coach Chris Scott has quashed speculation that a verbal clash led to Mitch Clark's distress after Friday night's win over Collingwood.

Geelong AFL coach Chris Scott

Geelong AFL coach Chris Scott says his side has plenty to work on before facing Sydney. (AAP)

Geelong coach Chris Scott says no specific incident drove Mitch Clark to tears after the Cats' win over Collingwood on Friday night.

A distressed Clark, who suffers from clinical depression, didn't sing the club song with his teammates in the rooms after the 41-point win and was consoled by Scott in a separate area.

The coach said speculation that Clark had been sledged was wide of the mark. "It's certainly not my understanding that there was anything untowards from the crowd or the opposition," Scott told Triple M on Saturday.

"It's a really sensitive issue and it's really hard for me to speak on Mitch's behalf.

"He's had a well-documented mental health issue and in his words it's something that he's going to have to deal with for his whole life. "Right at the moment I'm not in a position to elaborate on it."

Scott couldn't confirm whether Clark would be available for next week's match against Sydney, but added that the player's welfare was his primary concern and that he would receive ongoing care and support from the club.


Share

1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world