New Essendon coach Brad Scott feels far better equipped to handle the challenges of leading an AFL club now than when he first took on a senior role.
The 46-year-old was famously urged by his twin brother - Geelong premiership mentor Chris Scott - not to re-enter coaching ranks because of the "stressful existence" in the job.
It followed his departure from North Melbourne midway through 2019, after reaching two preliminary finals in almost a decade at the helm at Arden Street.
"It's just hard work," Chris Scott told the Nine Network in April last year.
"It's a stressful existence.
"Not many coaches coach for 10 years. He coached for 10 years and a couple of prelim finals with that list I think was a pretty successful outcome.
"There's a cost to that position and it needs to be weighed really carefully."
Brad Scott joined the AFL football operations department in 2020 and said on Friday that he had made a decision to "fully invest" in an administration career.
But he admitted he could not resist the opportunity to return to coaching when Essendon came knocking.
Scott now faces a huge task to bring success back to a club that boasts a record 16 AFL/VFL premierships - tied with arch rivals Carlton - but is without a finals win since 2004.
"I go in eyes wide open as to the challenges of the role," Scott said.
"In any high-profile, important role there are parts of it that you love and parts that are really challenging.
"But I wouldn't have committed to submitting myself to this process if in my own mind I hadn't reconciled that this is what I want to do.
"This time I'm not an untried, blissfully ignorant 33-year-old.
"I've been in the industry for a long time in various roles and I think I've got a pretty good idea of what's required, but also a good understanding of the challenges involved."
Scott's Essendon appointment means there are now four players from Brisbane's famous premiership era (2001-2003) in AFL head coaching roles.
He joins Carlton's Michael Voss, Collingwood's Craig McRae and brother Chris Scott, who led Geelong to a premiership for the second time with last week's grand final thrashing of Sydney.
