Brian Cook tells all after leaving Geelong, revealing reason for Carlton switch, Scott contract plan, plea to play kids

Knowing the ins and out of Geelong’s list, former chief executive Brian Cook says its time the Cats passed the baton to their young brigade.

Brian Cook supported a move to re-sign Geelong coach Chris Scott but the former Cats chief executive says the final call to extend his contract was made after his departure.

Scott is contracted for 2022 but is poised to sign a two-year extension, taking him past Reg Hickey’s longstanding record as the club’s longest serving coach.

Cook, who left the club in September after 23 years as chief executive, said he backed the move.

Former Cats chief executive Brian Cook. Picture: Alan Barber

Asked if it was his recommendation that Scott be re-signed, Cook said: “I was in favour of that, yeah.”

Despite another underwhelming finals campaign and with many questions over the future of an ageing list, it was revealed last month that Geelong would be backing in Scott with a two-year extension.

Cook confirmed the board had discussed extending Scott’s tenure prior to him joining Carlton.

“Can I say, there was positive discussion and (a) positive outcome in relation to that whole discussion around Chris’ extension, but there wasn’t a final decision,” he said.

“There was no finalisation of his extension at all when I was there.”

Scott’s latest deal would tie him to the club until the end of 2024.

The announcement was widely lashed by Geelong fans on social media and Cook acknowledged Scott was a polarising figure.

“It’s quite obvious when you look at some of the comments that are made. Some of them are really positive and then at times they’re quite negative,” Cook said.

Cats coach Chris Scott. Picture: Getty

“I think Chris is often seen as the culprit of the side’s poor performance when I don’t believe that is necessarily the case.

“I think there is a huge expectation at Geelong of the club’s performance year on year.

“I think we’ve been in (12) preliminary finals (since 2004). I think there is at times an unrealistic expectation from some of Geelong’s people.”

Geelong has 11 players on its list aged 30 or older — the most of any AFL club — and Cam Guthrie and Sam Menegola will join that group next year.

Cook labelled the list transition as a “challenge” and that the time had arrived to play younger players.

“I think Steve (Hocking) is very strong on trying to get some youngsters onto the playing list,” he said.

“It’s time for that. I agree with Steve that’s the way it should go from here.”

COOK WAS ‘UNEASY’ WORKING UNDER HOCKING

Former Geelong chief executive Brian Cook has revealed he would have been “uneasy” remaining at the Cats under replacement Steve Hocking.

Cook was set to stay with Geelong in a part-time position involved with the stage 5 redevelopment of Kardinia Park and the club’s foundation, but also said the position would have been unfulfilling.

Instead of taking the first steps towards retirement, Cook, who served as Geelong chief executive for 23 years, has taken on one of the most challenging roles in football.

Brian Cook and Geelong president Craig Drummond with Steve Hocking. Picture: Alan Barber

Speaking for the first time since it was announced in September that he would be leaving GMHBA Stadium to take up the chief executive role at Carlton, Cook told the Geelong Advertiser thatone of the reasons for his departure was to avoid creating an uncomfortable environment around Hocking.

“We had Steve Hocking on board … and he was wandering around getting used to the place and trying to figure out how people were interacting with each other,” Cook said.

“I must admit, I started feeling just a little bit uneasy. I didn’t want to get in Steve’s way.

“It was Steve’s role … and I was going to hang about on this contract, chairing the foundation and managing stage 5.

“I started to feel just a little bit uncomfortable about that. That’s as honest as I can be.

“Steve, by the way, was fantastic. Steve, I think, picked up on some my feelings and basically said to me, ‘Can we reshape this, can we do something so you’re a bit more comfortable?’

“It was my decision and I made the decision to leave and go to Carlton.”

Cook was first approached shortly before the finals by Carlton board member David Campbell about replacing Cain Liddle and later contacted by president Luke Sayers when Geelong bowed out of the premiership race.

Cook left Geelong after 23 years as chief executive. Picture: Alan Barber

He had planned to honour his agreement with Geelong but said he had a “bigger part in me saying, ‘I didn’t want to retire’.”

“I became a little bit more interested because I actually saw a fair bit of potential in Carlton with its talent,” he said.

“When I received a call from Luke the day after we got beat by Melbourne, I did start giving it serious consideration.

“Then I got calls from a lot of other Carlton people that I trust and have had time with over my career, like David Parkin, Stephen Gough, Michael Malouf, Shane O’Sullivan.

“It got me thinking much more seriously and within a week, I had accepted.”

Asked if he felt he had an obligation to see through the stage 5, Cook said his work was done.

“We’d already attracted the dollars, we’d already appointed the project manager, the builder had been appointed, the architect had been appointed — pretty much the back was broken of that redevelopment,” he said.

“I think my major part in the redevelopment was finished.

“The role I was going to have … I don’t know if it would have fulfilled me completely.”

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Originally published as Brian Cook tells all after leaving Geelong, revealing reason for Carlton switch, Scott contract plan, plea to play kids