Throughout history the Geelong Cats have been coached by some of the biggest names in VFL/AFL history. Names such as Hickey, Davis, Hafey, Blight and Thompson have all enabled their players to play some of the most entertaining football seen.  

Chris Scott

Playing Career
Brisbane: 215 games, 79 goals

Coaching Career
Geelong : Senior coach 2011-
Fremantle: Asst Coach 2008-2010

COACHING HISTORY
Chris Scott secured his spot in Geelong history by guiding the Cats to the premiership in his first season as coach. Scott took over a team that most experts felt was past its best.

Scott led Geelong to 13 wins to start the season, establishing a league record for most consecutive wins by a first year coach at the start of his career.

Geelong finished the home & away season with a 19-3 record, then posted emphatic wins over Hawthorn, West Coast and Collingwood to capture the premiership.

Scott was able to blend both the experienced and younger players into a potent line up. He was also honoured as All Australian coach after becoming just the 13th first year coach to lead his club to the flag.

The Cats followed up in 2012 with 15 wins while introducing 10 debutants, as the club looked to blend future and current success.

Scott was appointed as Geelong’s senior coach on 15 October after three seasons as an assistant coach at Fremantle. He helped the Dockers emerge from a lean history to be one of the hottest young teams on the rise in the AFL.

Scott has outstanding vision, leadership, drive and people skills.

PLAYING HISTORY
Scott marked himself as one of Brisbane’s greats during the golden era of the Lions, playing 215 games with the pioneering Lions.

Scott was a member of two premiership teams, 2001 and 2002, and he was denied a third flag by injury in 2003. He also played in the Lions 2004 grand final.

He claimed the Lions best & fairest in 1998 and was the AFL's rising star in 1994, his first season at the top level.

Scott established himself immediately in 1994, playing 19 games. He was an automatic selection for the Lions during their nine finals campaigns in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Scott retired following the 2007 season, his last game coming against the Cats at the Gabba.

Scott kicked 79 goals in his 215 game career.

Dale Amos

Playing career
St Arnaud: 36 games
South Barwon: 216 games
St Kilda VFL: 12 games

Coaching career
Geelong: Ass coach since 2012; VFL coach 2009-2011
South Barwon: coach 2004-08

COACHING HISTORY

Dale Amos joined the Cats in 2009 as VFL coach. After three season's in that role he has joined the AFL coaching staff. Dale’s role saw him work with the Cats young players who stepped up to AFL level in recent seasons.

Dale added the role of match day runner to his duties throughout the 2009 AFL finals series, culminating in the Cats premiership win over St Kilda.

Dale came to Geelong with an impressive coaching background and he proved well suited to work with the Cats up and coming players.

Amos led South Barwon to a hat-trick of GFL premierships (2005-2007) and saw his team win 77% of their matches in his five years at the helm (2004-2008). He was named GFL coach of the year in 2006.

Overall South Barwon was 77-24-1 in 102 games under his watch. Amos began as playing coach in 2004 and continued in that role until knee injuries short circuited his playing career in 2007.

PLAYING HISTORY

Amos played over 200 games with South Barwon, appearing in three premiership teams (2001, 2005, 2007). He missed the club’s 2006 flag win after suffering a serious knee injury in the second semi final. Amos is a two best & fairest winner with South Barwon.
He also played 36 games with St Arnaud in the North Central League and spent the 2000 season with St Kilda on the VFL list, playing eight games.

Blake Caracella

Playing Career
Essendon: 126 games, 151 goals
Brisbane: 34 games, 33 goals
Collingwood: 27 games, 34 goals

Coaching Career
Collingwood: asst coach 2007-09
Geelong: asst coach since 2010

COACHING HISTORY

Blake Caracella joined Geelong as an assistant coach just a week after the 2009 grand final. Caracella spent three seasons as an assistant at Collingwood before moving to Skilled Stadium.

He was a key member of the coaching staff that guided the Cats to the 2011 premiership. His work with Tom Hawkins has been credited with helping the Cats forward reach All Australian level.

Caracella helped Collingwood reach the finals three times, including two preliminary finals, as a member of the Magpies coaching staff.

PLAYING HISTORY

Caracella enjoyed an exceptional 10-year career with Essendon, Brisbane and Collingwood. He kicked 218 goals in 187 games, and was a member of two premiership teams – Essendon (2000) and Brisbane (2003).

Caracella began his career with Essendon in 1997, and stayed at Windy Hill until the end of 2002. He played in two grand finals with the Bombers and joined Brisbane in 2003, helping the Lions to two grand finals in 2003 and 2004.

He finished out his playing career with Collingwood, where he suffered a neck injury in 2006 that forced a premature retirement.

Shane O'Bree

Playing career
Collingwood: 227 games, 84 goals
Brisbane: 19 games, 3 goals

Coaching career
Geelong: Asst coach since 2013
Gold Coast: Asst coach 2011-2012

COACHING HISTORY

Shane O’Bree was added to the Cats coaching staff in October 2012. He spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the AFL’s 17th club, Gold Coast, in their first two seasons in the competition.

O’Bree works with the Cats midfield group and brings a vast understanding of the game to Geelong’s coaching panel.

PLAYING HISTORY

O’Bree enjoyed a successful career with Brisbane and Collingwood, playing 246 games over 13 seasons.

O’Bree began his career with the Brisbane Lions, playing 19 games in two seasons. He helped the Lions to the 1999 preliminary final. He then made the move to Collinwgood, where he went on to play 227 games and kick 84 goals.

A key member of the Magpies 2002 -2003 grand final teams, O’Bree retired after Collingwood’s premiership season in 2010 and moved directly into coaching.

A skilled midfielder, O’Bree captained the North Ballarat Rebels to the 1997 TAC Cup premiership.

James Rahilly

Playing career
Geelong: 90 games, 11 goals

Coaching career
Geelong: Specialist coach, VFL assistant coach 2008-09; Asst coach since 2010

COACHING HISTORY
James Rahilly stepped into a full time role with the Cats coaching group in 2010 after working in 2008-09 on a part time basis.

He has established himself as a key member of the coaching group, with his knowledge of the game and forthright views a critical element of the Cats successful coaching mix. He was a key member of the coaching group that masterminded the 2011 premiership win.
Rahilly’s previous two seasons saw him working as a specialist coach with the playing group and as an assistant coach with the Cats VFL unit.

Rahilly filled both roles successfully in 2008 and 2009, working mainly with the club’s young players.

He served as an additional set of eyes for the coaching staff throughout the 2009 AFL finals campaign from a behind the goals vantage point.

PLAYING HISTORY
Rahilly spent his entire AFL career with the Cats, kicking 11 goals in 90 league games between 1998-2005.

Drafted from the Geelong Falcons, Rahilly debuted in round six, 1998 against Hawthorn. He helped the Cats reach the finals three times in his eight seasons at Skilled Stadium (2000, 2004, 2005) and was a key member of the club’s VFL premiership win in 2002. Rahilly won the Norm Goss medal as best on ground in the VFL decider against Port Melbourne.

Rahilly was named as Geelong’s best first year player in 1998 and best clubman in 2002.

Paul Hood

Playing career
Geelong Falcons: 36 games
Geelong VFL: 2 games
North Ballarat VFL: 10 games
St Josephs: 224 games

Coaching career
Geelong: Academy co-ordinator since 2011
Geelong Falcons: coach 2010
Geelong Falcons: assistant coach 2008-09
St Joseph’s (GFL): assistant coach 2007

COACHING HISTORY

Paul Hood has overseen the Cats academy as the club’s academy co-ordinator since 2011. Hood works mainly with Geelong’s young players as they prepare to take the step up to AFL level.

Hood enjoyed a strong coaching apprenticeship, spending two years as an assistant with the Geelong Falcons in the TAC Cup, before taking over as head coach of the Falcons in 2010. He led the club to the finals with a 13-3 record before bowing out in the semi finals.

PLAYING HISTORY

Hood played over 200 games for St Joseph’s in the Geelong Football League from 1996-2007. He joined the club after a stint in the VFL with North Ballarat.

Hood was a decorated junior player, winning the Morrish medal with the Geelong Falcons in 1995. He represented Victoria at Teal Cup level, helping Victoria Country win the division 2 championship in 1994.

Matthew Knights

Playing career
Richmond: 279 games, 141 goals

Coaching career
Geelong: VFL coach since 2012
Essendon: senior coach 2008-2010
Bendigo: VFL coach 2005-2007
Port Adelaide Magpies (SANFL): senior coach 2004

COACHING HISTORY

Knights has coached at AFL, VFL and SANFL level during his career. He led Essendon for three seasons after stints with Bendigo and Port Adelaide Magpies. Knights led the Bombers to the finals in 2009 and was responsible for giving opportunities to many young players.

In his first season with the Cats he worked brilliantly in grooming young players for senior selection and guided the club to the VFL premiership.

Before being appointed Essendon coach in late 2007, Knights guided the Bendigo Bombers, twice taking them to the VFL finals. He also coached Port Adelaide in the SANFL in 2004 after spending 2003 as an assistant coach with the club.

PLAYING HISTORY

Knights enjoyed a brilliant playing career with Richmond. He was named in the Tigers team of the century, twice won the best & fairest, was named in the All Australian team in 1998 and finished runner up in the 1995 Brownlow medal.

Knights retired in 2002 after playing 279 games, 101 as club captain. He played in Richmond’s finals campaigns in 1995 and 2001.

Nigel Lappin

Playing Career

Brisbane: 279 games, 174 goals

Coaching Career
Geelong: Asst Coach since 2009

COACHING HISTORY

Nigel stepped straight from the field to the coaching box in 2009, and his first taste of coaching resulted in another premiership. Lappin was named as an assistant coach with the Cats in October 2008 just weeks after finishing a brilliant playing career, and has added two flags as an assistant coach to the three he won as a player.

PLAYING HISTORY

Lappin made his name as one of the AFL's elite midfielders while helping the Brisbane Lions turn into a powerhouse.

Lappin was co-captain of the Lions and won the club's best & fairest in 2004, helping Brisbane past the Cats in the preliminary final that year. He also finished in the top three of Lions voting in 1997, 2000 and 2001 and is a four time All Australian (2001-2004).

Nigel was a catalyst to the Lions hat-trick of premierships (2001-2003), famously showing his courage by playing in the 2003 decider with broken ribs.

Over a career that spanned 15 seasons, Lappin played 279 games, gathered 5,911 possessions and kicked 174 goals.

Max Rooke

Playing career
Geelong: 135 games, 58 goals

Coaching career
Geelong: Development coach since 2012

COACHING HISTORY

Max Rooke was named as a development coach for the Cats in October 2011. He works mainly with the club’s young players.

Rooke took his first steps into coaching in 2011 as assistant coach of local team Newtown.

PLAYING HISTORY

A Skilled Stadium favourite, Rooke played a variety of roles over his nine years with the Cats. He started as a defender, moved to a run-with role and finished as a centre half forward.

A key member of the 2007 and 2009 premiership teams, Rooke was among the best on grand final day 2009. Rooke booted 58 goals in his 135 game career with the Cats, and he was named as most determined & dedicated player in 2003.

Brad Ottens

Playing career

Richmond: 129 games, 152 goals
Geelong: 116 games, 109 goals

Coaching career
Geelong: Ruck coach since 2012

COACHING HISTORY
Brad Ottens jumped straight into specialist coaching after retiring following the 2011 premiership win.

He rejoined the Cats as ruck coach in 2012 and also added similar duties with the NSW/ACT U18 squad.

Ottens also ventured to Europe with the AFL academy squad as one of the pre-eminent ruck teachers in the game.

PLAYING HISTORY
Ottens was a key member of three Geelong premiership teams after joining the Cats before the 2005 season. He went onto play 116 games in the navy and white hoops and was among the best in the 2007, 2009 and 2011 grand final wins.

Originally drafted by Richmond, Ottens played 129 games with the Punt Rd club, helping the Tigers to the preliminary final in 2001.

Ottens earned All Australian honours in 2001 and represented Australia in the international rules series against Ireland.

Over his career Ottens played 245 games and booted 261 goals.