Geelong coach Chris Scott has slammed the situation midfielder Tanner Bruhn was put through in 2025, labelling it an “egregious injustice”.
The 23-year-old sat out the entire season to fight sexual assault charges and was stood down by the league.
After a full year of rumours and speculation and unrest, those charges were dropped in November after a witness admitted to lying about evidence.
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Tanner Bruhn of the Cats handpasses the ball during the 2026 AFL AAMI Community Series. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Bruhn has since returned to full training with the Cats, playing across half back in their AAMI Community Series loss to Carlton.
He is expected to slot straight back in for Opening Round and when Scott was asked about his positional tweak into the backline for this season, he felt the need to call out what the young man had been through in the last 12 months.
“We are confident, and we were confident going into 2025, that he was going to be an important midfield player for us and we still think that is the case, but he was always going to be a flexible player as well,” Scott said.
“We’ve taken the opportunity at training to look at him in positions behind the ball, but it’s just fantastic for him to be out there and able to concentrate on footy after what was one of the most egregious injustices I can think of in the game. To put that behind him is a positive for everyone, I think.”
The Cats coach played it down when asked if he was excited to see Bruhn return to footy this weekend.
“I’m excited about it all, so I try not to individualise too much,” Scott said.
“It’s his first game, but he’s really been training and he played a practice game against Carlton, he’s kind of ready to go.
“So I think we’ll all look back and think this was a small step, it’s important that we don’t overplay it.”
Chris Scott. Nine
Scott was asked a follow-up question about his comments, but felt he had already overstepped somewhat.
“I’ve said more than I want to, anyway. It’s largely a private matter. I don’t want to draw any more attention to it than he would like,” he added.
“I supported him in all the ways that you would imagine, but I don’t want to walk you through it.”
Bruhn was drafted by GWS with pick 12 in the 2020 draft, playing 30 games for the club before requesting a trade to Geelong at the end of 2022.
He played 36 games for the Cats across 2023 and 2024, before sitting out 2025.