Geelong's Steve Hocking to head AFL’s football operations

The AFL has announced that Geelong's Football Manager Steve Hocking is to take on the role of AFL Football Operations Manager.

Hocking replaces Simon Lethlean, who resigned from his position in July over an affair with a younger female staff member.

Hocking, who has served in various administration roles with the Geelong club over the past 10 years, also played 199 games for the Cats club, including two grand finals.

Commenting on his new role, which he will commence in mid-October, after Geelong's finals campaign finishes, Lethlean stated “there's numerous challenges.

"I think the most important thing for me will be just getting my feet under the desk.

"Moving forward over the next month, I'm certainly going to be taking care of business at Geelong Football Club."

In announcing the appointment, AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan said Hocking would have the power to look at the controversial Match Review Panel (MRP).

McLachlan advised “he's got a mandate to review anything. This role is the head of football across the country.

"Recommendations may need to be approved by the Commission, but he's got a mandate to run football and that picks up umpiring, coaching, MRP, rules of the game and others."

McLachlan said Hocking was a clear standout from a strong field, adding “he is a strong person, has high conviction in life and certainly around football, and he'll bring to the role views across all of the game.

"He'll be a great custodian who will lead our game into the new era."

Last month, Lethlean expressed remorse for his actions and apologised "for all the hurt and embarrassment" he had caused the league.

Following the resignation of Lethlean and Richard Simkiss, McLachlan defended the culture at AFL headquarters, saying the league "walks the walk" as a community leader.

He stated "I think it's a culture I'm very proud of generally - it has changed over the last three or four years and we've got to set a standard.

"Like in any business, people make mistakes, and two men took accountability for their mistakes."

Image of Steve Hocking courtesy of the Geelong Cats.

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