The Geelong Cats are mourning the passing of Hall of Fame backman John Scarlett.

Nicknamed “Gunner” due to his time in the national service, Scarlett played 183 games for the Cats from 1967 to 1977 before playing 29 games for South Melbourne from 1977 to 1978.

A full-back, Scarlett was renowned for his daring dashes up the ground and long kicking. Drafted from St Joseph’s in Geelong, Scarlett would play five games in his debut season including the preliminary and grand finals in 1967.

CLICK HERE TO SEE JOHN SCARLETT TALKING ABOUT THE 1967 GRAND FINAL

His son, Matthew, would follow in his father’s footsteps as a dashing defender for the Cats before commencing in his current role as an assistant coach for the AFL side.

The Cats players will wear black armbands for the side’s clash with Fremantle in Perth on Sunday.