Geelong has officially announced three new members will be inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in June, with current head coach Chris Scott and former players Harry Taylor and Travis Varcoe earning the honours.
All three inductees have had a huge impact on the Geelong Football Club and deserve to become a part of the Cats' Hall of Fame.
Scott has been Geelong's coach since the beginning of the 2011 season and is one of the best coaches in the modern era. He has coached 315 games, where he has won 216 games, lost 96 and drawn three, holding a winning record of 69.15 per cent.
In his first year at the Cats he took them to their ninth premiership and became the first senior coach since Malcolm Blight in 1997 to win a premiership as a first-year club senior coach. Since then, he has guided the Cats to 10 AFL finals series in 12 years, including eight preliminary finals. In 2022, he took his team to be back on top leading the club to its 10th Premiership
Taylor joined the Cats as Pick 17 in the 2007 AFL Draft and was a surprised pick-up due to his age. The 21-year-old made his debut in Round 2, 2008, where during his first season made his mark as a key defender and became part of the 2008 grand final team.
Taylor went on to become a two-time premiership player, winning the ultimate prize in 2009 and 2011, being a pivotal member of these teams.
Taylor retired at the end of the 2020 season after he played 280 games for the Cats, was named in the 2010 and 2013 All-Australian teams, finished runner-up in the Carji Greeves Medal in 2013, was part of the leadership group and was vice-captain from 2014-2017.
The third inductee will be Travis Varcoe, who played 230 AFL games - 138 games at the Cats over nine seasons (2006-2014) after being drafted in 2005 through the AFL Draft. Varcoe finished off his career at Collingwood from 2015 to 2020.
Varcoe wore the famous number five guernsey, previously worn by club legends Gary Ablett and Polly Farmer. He debuted in Round 2, 2007 for the Cats and kicked 130 goals for the the club over nine seasons as a forward and midfielder.
Varcoe became a two-time premiership player, as part of the 2009 and 2011 teams. He was known for his acceleration, elite pressure, and never-die-heart attitude on the field. Varcoe is also famously known for kicking a goal in the opening 10 seconds of the 2011 Grand Final.
He was also the quickest player to reach 100 wins, playing in his 100th win in his 113th game.
On the same night as the trio of inductees, premiership captain Cameron Ling will be elevated to Legend status, while others are becoming life members.
Geelong Cats CEO Steve Hocking expressed his excitement to celebrate and take the opportunity to award key figures in the club's history.
“Harry and Travis have both made enormous contributions to the Club over their playing careers,” Hocking said.
“During his playing career, Harry was a relentless competitor on the field, and rightly renowned for his football knowledge, always striving for improvement. He was able to achieve much individually, but importantly also played a role in helping those around him, both on and off the field.
“At the other end of the ground, Travis was operating with a team of all mentality. While he produced plenty of extraordinary highlights, his work rate and energy made him a catalyst for the team. He is also a real leader in the community, and it is not a surprise to see he has gone into coaching roles following his playing career as he looks to continue to share his knowledge of the game.
“Chris Scott's story as coach at Geelong is still ongoing, but his induction to the Hall of Fame now gives us an opportunity to reflect on the incredible impact he has had at our Club since he joined us in late 2010.
“His longevity and success as a coach is underpinned by his innate sense of curiosity, his eagerness to learn and relentless pursuit of Greatness, and what he had brought to our Club extends far beyond the results which we see on field.
“It seems fitting that Chris will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on the same night that his 2011 Premiership Captain, Cameron Ling, is elevated to Legend Status.
“The two had an incredible working relationship in 2011, it is wonderful to see their achievements and contributions to the Club as individuals celebrated through their respective honours.”
The 2024 Geelong Cats Hall of Fame Dinner will be held on Saturday 22nd June at GMHBA Stadium.