Few sides have been under as much pressure as Geelong is right now.
For one and a half decades, this great side has defied all odds to consistently stay afloat at the top of the ladder.
Premierships in 2007, 2009 and 2011 were an emphatic statement to show that this is one of the greatest sides of the AFL era.
But in the last decade, things haven't been so peachy in September.
Despite finishing top-four seven times since Scott's first year in 2011, last year's Grand Final loss was as far as the Cats have gone in the finals.
Equally concerning, Geelong have an 1-8 record in the first week of finals during that time - their only win coming from an Isaac Smith miss after-the-siren in 2016.
Now, after another crushing Qualifying Final loss to Port Adelaide last weekend, the pressure gauge has reached dangerous levels.
A loss to GWS on Friday night would be beyond just a disastrous scenario for the Cats.
Undoubtedly, Geelong have done an incredible job getting back into the finals year after year. But with the oldest list in the comp, that mountain is only going to get harder to climb.
12 players on the Geelong list have gone past the age of 30. Whilst rival flag contenders have brought in youth, the Cats have doubled down on experience.
In last year's trade period, Geelong recruited veterans Smith and Shaun Higgins, and agreed to give up three first-round picks to secure Jeremy Cameron.
There is no question that this plan was an all-or-nothing attempt to win a flag in 2021. Whilst the Cameron trade has been far from a disaster, it will come under heavy scrutiny in coming years if Geelong fail to win their 10th premiership.
This has been Geelong's list management strategy for years and it has served them very well. Trading in ready-made talent and making the most of later picks has prevented the Cats from bottoming out. Sadly, the dam wall is surely soon to burst.
Years of finals appearances have badly hurt their draft hand. At 30 years of age, Gary Rohan is the youngest player on Geelong's list that was a top-ten pick in the draft.
Geelong will once again miss the first round of the 2021 draft, having already traded their first pick to Richmond to gain Max Holmes in last year's draft.
The dual-premiership winning side Scott inherited had mostly been built on years of going to the draft. Club greats Jimmy Bartel (pick 8), Joel Corey (pick 9), Andrew Mackie (pick 7) and Joel Selwood (pick 6) were all top-ten picks and a huge part of their success.
Sadly, Geelong's lack of high-end young talent will slowly come back to bite them.
With fellow contenders Melbourne, Port Adelaide and the Bulldogs all sporting far younger lists than the Cats, it really feels like it's now or never for Chris Scott.
This year, Cats fans would have been nervous watching Richmond fall out of the eight. The end really does come fast when there's a strong dependence on your veterans.
One of Geelong's veterans, Patrick Dangerfield, would be feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders right now. Few players of his calibre fail to achieve the ultimate success in their careers.
Across 283 games in the league, Dangerfield has achieved almost everything short of a premiership. Now at 31 years of age, the window might soon be closing.
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It would be an enormous task for this old list to seriously contend in 2022. For someone who carries so much expectation, this would be playing heavily on his mind.
There's also a lot at stake for Scott's legacy.
His home-and-away record is unquestionable. Under Scott, the Cats have won 71.9% of the 242 home-and-away games they've played; far greater than any other coach in AFL history.
But a finals record of 4-13 since the 2011 premiership is looming large over his tenure. And the more time that passes, the more Scott's finals record comes into focus.
And then there are the questions that will be asked about his future.
After 11 seasons at the Cattery, would Scott be willing to coach them through a long rebuild process?
How his team finishes this season could play a huge part in his decision making.
Speculation that this Geelong list might soon fade away only mounts more pressure onto Friday night.
The Toby Greene suspension is a lucky break, but the Round 21 defeat to GWS at Kardinia Park will still be fresh in their minds.
A loss would simply be catastrophic.
Even victory would still mean a nasty prelim final match up against the flag-favourites in Melbourne. The road to glory now looks tough for a side who has put all their chips on the table.
Whilst there is nothing wrong with going all out to win a premiership, Geelong must now prepare for the fallout if they don't.
