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Don Scott in full voice.Credit:Jack Atley

Hawks great Scott said Hawthorn's youngsters had been a liability in Thursday night'squalifying final loss to Richmond,but also suggested Melbourne had concerns despite their elimination final win against Geelong.

“It’s easy to[tip] Melbourne on last week’s performance,but their forward line is not up to scratch I don’t think,"Scott told The Age on Sunday,ahead of Friday night's cut-throat MCG semi-final between the clubs.

"Whereas what was worrying in Hawthorn’s part were the young fellows they’ve just put in. They couldn’t hack the pressure of finals football. So it’s a flip of the coin as far as I’m concerned.”

Scott a 302-game ruckman,three-time premiership player and premiership captain,was the face of Operation Payback,a campaign to stop the Demons and Hawks amalgamating in 1996,a period in which the AFL was keen for clubs to merge.

His famous gesture of ripping a velcro Hawk from a Melbourne guernsey in front of frothing Hawthorn masses at the Camberwell Civic Centre,was one of the most iconic football images of the 1990s.

But Scott,70,was reluctant to trawl over his key role in ensuring the Demons and Hawks remain separate entities.

All-time greats:Hawthorns vice-captain Leigh Matthews (left),coach David Parkin (centre) and captain Don Scott (right) after winning the 1978 VFL premiershipCredit:Fairfax Media

“Had the merger gone through we wouldn’t be seeing what we’re going to see this week,” Scott said.

“[But] I don’t think of the past. I don’t think there’s too much significance really. These boys weren’t around or wouldn’t have known what was going on back then.”

While Melbourne narrowly voted for the proposed merger,the'no'vote scored a decisive victory at Hawthorn,with the Hawks winning four premierships and becoming one of the AFL's most financially powerful clubs in the years since.

The sides clash earlier this year.Credit:AAP

The sides have met in six finals,three between 1957 and 1963,and another three between 1987 and 1990.

The ‘87 preliminary final provided another of football’s most famous moments,Gary Buckenara's match-winning goal after the siren after benefiting from a 15-metre penalty conceded by Jim Stynes. The Hawks then annihilated Melbourne in the 1988 grand final,but the Demons won the clubs'most recent finals match,an elimination final two year later,which was Allan Jeans'last game as Hawthorn coach.

As for the modern-day versions,the Australian football hall-of-famer was impressed by what he saw of theDemons against Geelong,but flagged a steeper challenge against the Hawks.

“I think Hawthorn,their strengths are their foot-passing,and they’ve got players that are the cream on the cake,that really can cut you apart. And so Melbourne,they’ll have to show the same intensity[as] last week,but be aware that they’re playing a much better team,"Scott said.

“Melbourne shouldn’t get carried away with what they did,because they’ve got to give a bit more now."

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