Geelong to help Simon Lloyd grow after missing North Melbourne CEO gig

A big talent off the field was a whisker away from landing a key role and Geelong will help him work to step up in the AFL.

Geelong football boss Simon Lloyd narrowly missed out on the North Melbourne CEO position. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

Geelong has committed to helping Simon Lloyd if he pursues top jobs at other AFL clubs after the Cats footy boss narrowly missed out on the gig as North Melbourne’s chief executive.

Simon Lloyd speaks to the media. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

Widely respected throughout the AFL industry, Lloyd was in the final two to lead the Roos, but Jennifer Watt was appointed instead.

Before heading up Geelong’s football department, Lloyd had stops at Fremantle and Collingwood and is seen by many as a chief executive in waiting.

He went through interviews for the North Melbourne job with Geelong’s blessing and Cats CEO Steve Hocking said the club was “thrilled” he was seriously considered.

“We’ve obviously really pleased and thrilled that Simon was recognised in that way and we’re now fortunate to have Simon remaining with us,” Hocking said.

“What we will do is make sure that at the appropriate time Simon is having the discussions with us about he we can provide him with further growth opportunities and development opportunities.

“I certainly know he has been back on the tools here and back in underneath the program.”

North Melbourne CEO Jennifer Watt. Picture: Supplied

Lloyd jetted off to the United States after Geelong’s premiership win alongside star midfielder Patrick Dangerfield, with the pair embarking on a negotiator’s course at Harvard University.

The pair weren’t the only Cats off to college, with head coach Chris Scott popping in for a stint at Stanford in California.

“(Lloyd and Dangerfield) did a lot of visits through a range of sporting organisations there,” Hocking said.

“They have both come back in (to the club) excited about some of the opportunities that lie ahead.”

Geelong has been an AFL leader in pushing its staff to jet off for education, after a generous donation helped fund the trips.

“The Carter family has donated incredibly $100,000 over five years to contribute to education and personal development,” Hocking said.

“It just gives out people the opportunity to expand their decision making and knowledge more broadly and bring it back into the club.”

Joel Selwood’s No.14 ‘unlikely’ to be used in 2023

Geelong is poised to put Joel Selwood’s famous No.14 in mothballs with the jumper number “unlikely” to be used in 2023.

With Selwood now retired after a club-record 355 games, his guernsey is up for grabs, alongside other numbers like 4 (last worn by Shaun Higgins), 12 (Cooper Stephens) and 40 (Luke Dahlhaus).

Geelong has shown little interest in resting or retiring jumper numbers in recent years but famously the club kept Gary Ablett Sr’s No.5 empty for close to a decade before Travis Varcoe filled it.

While the club is set to reveal its new numbers in the new year, Cats chief executive Steve Hocking said Selwood’s No.14 will probably be given a rest.

Joel Selwood wore his No.14 with pride. Pic: Michael Klein.

“It’s unlikely (it will be used),” he said.

“There are a range of numbers available and whether No.14 is part of that, there is certainly no major song and dance about it other than the numbers will be allocated.”

Over the past week, Cats recruits have begun training in newly made training tops, with Tanner Bruhn seen wearing No.4, Jack Bowes No.12 and Ollie Henry in 41, but some players have been mixing and matching numbers during training.

Irish recruit Oisin Mullin was listed as wearing No.34 on the club’s website ahead of the 2022 season before he decided against flying out to Australia and it is unclear whether he would be handed that jumper in 2023.

Hocking said the club would listen if any players were particularly keen to wear a particular number and there was no science behind why some guernseys had gone unused in recent years, such as the No.13 that has been vacant since Lachie Fogarty last wore it in 2020.

“As an example the No.13 hasn’t been allocated for a number of years,” Hocking said.

“There may be a player that is really keen to wear that number, as made famous by Tommy Lonergan. We will just see where that lands at the appropriate time.”

Originally published as Geelong to help Simon Lloyd grow after missing North Melbourne CEO gig