Steve Hocking

Now spanning the course of five decades, the breadth of Steve Hocking’s roles and experience, coupled with his fierce loyalty to our community, have made him one of the most formative and influential figures in the history of the Geelong Football Club.

The CEO of the Cats first arrived at Kardinia Park as a teenager in the 1980s, bright-eyed and resolute at the beginning of what would become an unforgettable 199-game career. During his time in the Hoops, Hocking played in two AFL Grand Finals and was awarded the club’s most determined player on four occasions.

Following his retirement from playing at the conclusion of the 1994 season, Hocking sought to apply his skills and expand his knowledge in private business. Thankfully, he made his return to the Cattery at the end of 2003 as match committee chairman, a welcome-back that precipitated a decades-long period of sustained success for the Geelong Football Club that continues today.

From 2004 until the end of 2017, Hocking held a variety of roles including Football Operations Manager, General Manager Team Performance, General Manager Commercial Operations and General Manager Football while the Cats won three Premierships and became the winningest team of the era.

Inevitably, AFL House came knocking for his talent and Hocking was appointed General Manager of Football for the AFL in late 2017.  During his four years at headquarters, Hocking was responsible for the advancement of the AFL and AFLW competitions, leading in matters including the laws of the game, mental health, umpiring, talent pathways and the match review panel.

Geelong celebrated his homecoming when Hocking was announced as the next CEO of the Geelong Football Club at the end of 2021.

With a passion for unlocking high performance, unleashing human magic, and advancing all towards equity, since his return Hocking has overseen the Cats win the 2022 AFL Premiership in his first year at the helm, the establishment of the Cats AFLW team as a driving force in the expanding competition, and grown the Geelong’s Team of All to over 90,000 members for the first time in its history.