Geelong have announced Adelaide's James Rahilly will join the club as an assistant coach ahead of the 2024 season.

Rahilly played 90 games for the Cats from 1998 to 2005. After retiring, he worked in a variety of coaching roles at Geelong for 10 years between 2010-2021 before moving to the Adelaide Crows for the 2021 AFL season.

Rahilly is a highly regarded coach within the industry and has spent the last three seasons as an assistant at Adelaide as a forward line coach. Rahilly received the 2023 AFL Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year Award to recognise his coaching performance this season.

Geelong Cats General Manager Andrew Mackie said the club is thrilled to welcome Rahilly back to the Cats and to be a part of Chris Scott's coaching panel in 2024.

โ€œWe are excited to welcome James and his family back to Geelong Football Club.

โ€œSpending the last three years at the Crows has seen James continue to develop his coaching skills to become one of the most highly regarded and respected coaches in the competition.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 15: James Rahilly, Forwards Coach of the Crows during the 2023 AFL Round 18 match between the Adelaide Crows and the GWS Giants at Adelaide Oval on July 15, 2023 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

โ€œIt is always important to bring good people with strong values into an organisation and James epitomises that, so we are thrilled James will continue his coaching career back at Geelong and we look forward to him working with Chris, our current coaches and our playing group.โ€

Geelong'sย official pre-season campaign will start next month.