This week a familiar brand will grace a Geelong Cats match day.

No, it’s not the famous blue oval of Ford, although that will still be there, it is the Whiskas brand.

Immediately when you think of Geelong and Whiskas you are taken back to 1999 season and one of the most audacious partnership opportunities the world has ever seen.

1999 was a horrible year for the Cats. Drowning in $7.5m in debt, a predicted operating loss of $750,000 and a run of nine straight losses in the middle of the season had things looking bleak down the highway.

Enter first-year chief executive Brian Cook who went to the club’s champion on-baller and acting captain Garry “Buddha” Hocking with an unusual proposal. Uncle Ben’s, Whiskas parent company at the time, had an offer for the club; if a Cats player was willing to change his name to “Whiskas” for one game, there would be a significant financial incentive for the club and for the Geelong Animal Welfare Centre.

Garry Hocking changed his named to Whiskas in 1999.

Testament to Hocking’s selflessness and love of the club he replied that he would do it.

The views across the industry were mixed at the time. Whilst some pleaded for the return of football’s innocence when jumpers didn’t carry brands and the game wasn’t “commercialised” others saw the act for what it was, an effort by an athlete who loved his club to put a dent into a debt that was quickly becoming overwhelming.

Unfortunately, for the Cats and Hocking, the match against Richmond during which Hocking’s name was changed didn’t pan out well. Despite starting well, the Cats were put to the sword by Richmond in the final quarter who booted six goals to one to run out 35-point winners. For Hocking, his day was over by three quarter time due to injury.

A newspaper clipping from when the name change took place.

By next week, Hocking was back under his birth name and Whiskas was celebrating an estimated $4m in media value through the partnership.

Luckily for the Cats, the partnership in 2021 between the Cats and Whiskas comes from a much less desperate space. Considered one of the country’s best run sporting clubs, the Cats now attract sponsors from across the country who want to be associated with their brand.

So while you’ll see Whiskas across the Cats website, social media and match day LED, the partnership now is one that won’t create quite a stir as it did in 1999.