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The timing of Scott’s statement comes just a few days before the Dons take on Sydney, whose captain Luke Parker mocked midfielder Dylan Shiel for an apparent lack of courage in a much-publicised incident in 2022. Neither the injured Parker nor Shiel, lacking match practice, will play this week.

Star defender Redman tipped over the edge against the Hawks, paying the price with a one-match suspension for his head-high strike on Jai Newcombe. The Dons, after receiving legal advice, opted against spending $10,000 on an “unwinnable appeal”.

“The first thing is that we want to be in control of our actions out there on the field,” Scott said.

“Mason doesn’t need for me to tell him that he did the wrong thing. He knows that himself and he’s very disappointed first of all, giving the free kick away. The ramifications of the MRO obviously exacerbate that.

“But we want to be a team that takes responsibility for our actions and Mason’s taken responsibility.”

Scott foreshadowed two key returns this week in ruckman Sam Draper and star midfielder Darcy Parish.

Draper will team with Todd Goldstein in the ruck against Sydney’s Brodie Grundy, who eclipsed Max Gawn in the opening round. Draper had groin surgery over the summer but has trained strongly for about a month leading into what will be just his second senior game since round 13 last year.

“Last year we really missed him so we were determined once we got him back, we’d get him back for good,” Scott said of the club’s conservative management of Draper’s injury.