FRANK’S FOR THE MEMORIES
Costa, Lonergan and Stokes inducted into the Cats’ Hall of Fame
FRANK Costa will always hold a significant place in Geelong’s history — now it’s official.
The former long-serving president was last night inducted into the Cats’ Hall of Fame in a glittering event at GMHBA Stadium.
Costa, club president between 1999-2010, was inducted alongside recently retired premiership players Tom Lonergan and Mathew Stokes, and VFA champion Joe McShane.
FRANK Costa will always hold a significant place in Geelong’s history — now it’s official.
The former long-serving president was last night inducted into the Cats’ Hall of Fame in a glittering event at GMHBA Stadium.
Costa, club president between 1999-2010, was inducted alongside recently retired premiership players Tom Lonergan and Mathew Stokes, and VFA champion Joe McShane.
Geelong coach Chris Scott earned life membership and Mike Sheahan claimed the club’s annually presented RJ Hickey Award for services to football.
Costa, alongside chief executive Brian Cook, spearheaded the Cats’ revival from a debt-ridden club on the brink of collapse to a powerhouse that broke a 44-year premiership drought.
Under Costa’s leadership, the Cats chipped away at their debt, won the 2007 and 2009 flags, beefed up their community engagement, started a redevelopment of the stadium that remains ongoing and established a business model that underpinned the future of the club.
Since stepping away from the presidency, Costa has continued to serve as both club patron and chair of the stakeholder committee.
One of the most popular players in recent history, Lonergan played 209 games and kicked 55 goals over 15 years with the Cats.
After losing a kidney and almost his life in just his seventh AFL game in a marking contest, Lonergan returned and soon became the bedrock of the Geelong defence, playing a key role in the 2011 flag.
Stokes played 189 games with the Cats, booting 203 goals. He has played more games with the club than any other indigenous player.
Stokes played in the 2007 and 2011 premierships, and in a selfless act ruled himself out of the Cats preliminary final team in 2009 due to injury.
McShane played 225 games with Geelong in a career that straddled both the VFA and VFL competitions.
He was the first Geelong player to register 200 games and was the club’s record games holder 1895-1902.
McShane ranked as one of the best players of his era, winning the best-and-fairest in 1897, being named equal-best player in the VFL in 1897, club captain in 1895, represented Victoria in 1891 and was named best centreman in the VFA in 1895.
Scott’s 69.9 per cent winning percentage is the highest in league history of any coach with more than 100 games.
Over the same period, Geelong has been the secondhighest scoring team in the AFL, continuing the tradition of attacking football.
Sheahan was recognised for his 50-plus years of service to the game as a player, leading journalist and administrator.