'Panicking' coach questioned over star's move

Geelong manager Chris Scott has been accused of "panicking" arsenic the reigning premiers' slump worsened astatine the play with a 3rd consecutive loss.

The Cats' premiership defence has been marred by a operation of inconsistent performances and injuries, with Scott's broadside presently sitting 10th connected the ladder with conscionable 5 wins from its archetypal 11 games successful 2023.

Scott has shown helium is not acrophobic to tinker with his lineup, and was criticised by Port Adelaide large Kane Cornes for moving young defender Sam De Koning guardant successful caller weeks.

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"I deliberation helium is panicking a small spot with the moves helium is making from a unit and structural constituent of view," Cornes told Nine's Footy Classified.

Geelong has suffered 3 consecutive losses aft seemingly getting its play backmost connected way with 5 consecutive wins (Morgan Hancock via Getty Images)

"I can't judge (Sam) De Koning is playing forward. This is simply a bizarre 1 for me. This is simply a kid who looked similar helium would instrumentality the contention by tempest astatine centre fractional back.

"You've already got (Jeremy) Cameron, (Tom) Hawkins, (Ollie) Henry and present you've got De Koning (up forward), who is retired of sorts.

"I get helium hasn't had the training, but this is what helium was doing past twelvemonth and you thought this feline was 1 of the astir breathtaking players successful the competition.

"There was that, the Henry brothers (Ollie and Jack) were swapping astatine either extremity and (Tyson) Stengle was playing connected ball.

"The quickest mode to disrupt someone's vocation is to propulsion them each implicit the place, and that is intelligibly what's happening to that young man.

Geelong young weapon Sam De Koning has struggled to person the aforesaid interaction truthful acold this play (Robert Cianflone via Getty Images)

"He's got to settee him backmost arsenic an intercepting centre fractional backmost that each squad would emotion to have."

De Koning enjoyed a breakout play past year, playing 23 games and averaging 12.2 disposals and 5.2 marks per crippled arsenic the Cats won the premiership, but has seen some those numbers dip this year.

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He ranked archetypal among rising star-eligible players successful intercepts per crippled and contested marks per crippled past season.

Scott's broadside is expected to beryllium bolstered by the instrumentality of skipper Patrick Dangerfield this play successful what looms arsenic a blockbuster clash against the Western Bulldogs connected Saturday night.

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