Scarlett opened up about an incident involving the Magpie skipper from the 2010 preliminary final between Geelong and Collingwood in his newly released autobiography Hold The Line.
Maxwell's side led by 10 goals at the final change that night and went on to win by 41 points, seemingly ending an era of Geelong dominance.
Scarlett said Maxwell had approached the Geelong huddle at three-quarter time and started sledging its players.
A year later in the 2011 Grand Final, a game the resurgent Cats would win over the Magpies, Cameron Ling booted a late goal to all but secure victory.
Scarlett took the opportunity to hit back, running to Maxwell to return fire from the previous year.
"I reckon I ran almost 100 metres to get in his face and give him a spray," Scarlett wrote.
"I reminded him that I hadn't forgotten what he said and then proceeded to tell him what I thought of him as a player: highly overrated.
"None of our players had any respect for Maxwell. We hated how he was being compared to Tom Harley. It was simply wrong."
Harry Thring is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry.
