Outgoing Leopold premiership coach Garry Hocking reflects on coaching career, Ted Lasso theme and final address

There were tears as Garry Hocking addressed the playing group for the last time as coach. The Geelong great reflects on his two decades in coaching, drawing on a fictional coach and what’s next.

Leopold captain Marcus Thompson celebrates with coach Garry Hocking Picture: Mike Dugdale

After the Leopold faithful belted out the song with the gusto in the bowels of GMHBA Stadium, outgoing coach Garry Hocking pulled the players and coaches in a private room away from prying eyes.

In short, the man known as ‘Buddha’ said “thank you, I’m out, and good luck”.

“It is just an intimate, inner sanctum experience for me to say thank you and just say, ‘keep working hard’, thank my wife, Aaron Verlin the president, thank others who have contribute but may not get a medal,” Hocking said.

“It takes everybody, they say it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a footy club to raise a cup. I just wanted to say thanks and have just a moment before they disappear and talk to their families and give them the love.”

Leopold premiership player James Edmonds said the players also thanked him for his enormous contribution.

“He has been such an amazing footballer but also a better person, it was pretty emotional in there,” Edmonds said.

“I reckon Buddha was holding a few (tears) back, but would’ve been so fine if he let it out. I think a few of the boys were tearing up. He has such a big impact on everyone that he comes into contact with because he is such a relationship man, he is a great man. We are so lucky to have him at Leopold.”

Garry Hocking yells instructions during the grand final. Picture: Mike Dugdale

Friday afternoon marked the end of Hocking’s 21-year coaching career with his incredible three-year reign at the Lions netting back-to-back premierships and a grand final loss.

An AFL Hall of Fame inductee as a player during his 274-game playing career at Geelong, Hocking then coached at Western Jets, Peel Thunder, Geelong Falcons, Port Adelaide SANFL, Port Adelaide AFL – as interim coach for four matches in 2021 – South Adelaide, Collingwood and then finally, Leopold.

“Not all those coaching jobs are about winning or trying to win the flag, there is a lot of development jobs in there, but this is about winning and to give these boys three looks at it and to grab two, we always wanted to create chances,” a reflective Hocking said.

“When I first came in, the first thing I wanted to do was create chances and you can’t win ‘em if you’re finishing 6-10.

“And then create memories, some of these guys have got lifelong memories and I do as well.

“It was a hard decision to leave, but days like this when you win, it is worth all the extra training sessions, all the extra vision, all the extra phone calls, all the extra relationship building.”

“I fell in love with the playing group, the club family feel, it felt right to me. The environment, the culture, the leadership, and then the community. The community is just all about Leopold and we are very lucky, we are one of the few teams in the comp that has a real strong connected community.”

Hocking made the decision in August to depart the Lions with two years left on his deal to give more time to his family, wife Melina and children Lochlan, Tayla and Chelsea, who have followed him across the country for his coaching pursuits.

But the 55-year-old won’t be completely lost to the Lions – and he is going to find it difficult stepping away with coaching is in his blood.

Leopold Coach Garry Hocking with his family, Chelsea, Merlina and Lochlan. Picture: Mike Dugdale

“I’m thinking there has got to be some kind of footy patches out there like nicotine patches where I can stick them on when I’m at the footy and so I’m not twitching and trying to walk out to the huddle,” Hocking quipped.

“You never stop thinking about it, it is always on your mind. You go to bed it is on your mind, when you wake up at 3 you’ve got a new kick-in. You wake up at five and you’ve got a new zone, you wake up at seven and you need to talk to Marcus Thompson about something.

“At 11 you’ve got to talk to Luke Justin about his role, and then the physio is ringing me about certain players, it is non-stop, it consumes you.

“You have to give it everything to get what we’ve got the last three years.

“I’ll be sniffing around a bit and watching training and seeing what they’re doing and who the new (coach) coming in is and that sort of stuff. If they need a hand I’ll be there, I’m not going to be all amongst it but I’ll have a look from afar.

“But I will always be there in the background, I’ve built an amazing relationship with a lot of these guys – not just football, they can talk to me about anything. And that’s what a coach should be, inside the boundary line help them but outside the boundary line help them step their way through life as well.”

BE A GOLDFISH

Last year it was the Sons of Anarchy – rebranded as the ‘Sons of Leopold’.

In the 2024 finals series, fictional soccer coach Ted Lasso was the theme driving the Lions towards premiership success.

Ted made an appearance before each game in September and even showed up to their celebrations after they went back-to-back.

Garry Hocking as 'Ted Lasso' with Leopold number one ticket holders Ferg and Milly. Picture: Supplied

One of the big mantra Ted Lasso’s message in the second episode of the popular show: ‘Be like a goldfish’.

“Because finals you’re going to make mistakes and it is really important that, ‘a goldfish has got a 10 second memory’, one of Ted’s beautiful quotes. Move on, move on,” Hocking said.

That and Ted Lasso’s key messages of belief – even using the same ‘BELIEVE’ sign the players draw inspiration from in the show – and playing to your strengths were used to drive his players.

“We had a ‘weapon wall’. We put up placards of each player’s weapon on the wall, pretty powerful. Leadership, courage, ball use, whatever it is for that player and we just wanted to stick with you playing our best footy,” Hocking explained.

“And I’d dress up – I got the tracksuit out, had the visor, the glasses, the whistle and then each week I just changed it. This week was a sombre Ted, just the pants, the blue cardigan with the sleeves tucked up and the whistle and the aviators on.”

Hocking was pleased to see a host of examples on grand final day of his Lions taking on his Ted Lasso lessons, including Sam Scott’s heavy collision whichs saw him head to the bench with blood coming from his face.

Garry Hocking reinforces his Ted Lasso message after Leopold’s win over St Joseph’s. Picture: Alan Barber

“Scott’s contest, Luke Justin’s contest, Jett Matthew’s smother when they were coming at us. Those little things that we talked about, those are the things that are going to either give you a medal or wish you wanted one,” Hocking said.

For Hocking, it was fitting he ended his footballing journey down at Kardinia Park, where he had made so many memories.

“Ken Hinkley won one in 2003 after the drawn grand final, he got his group up and won the next week (Bell Park) and to do what I did out here to some point and come and win out there is pretty special,” Hocking said.

“It is a nice little story to finish on the ground that I played a bit on.”

Originally published as Outgoing Leopold premiership coach Garry Hocking reflects on coaching career, Ted Lasso theme and final address