CATS COACH HOOD QUITS
AFLW boss leaves club after 10 years
PAUL Hood has stood down as coach of the Geelong AFLW team.
Hood was at the helm at the Cats for three seasons as the inaugural coach of the club’s AFLW side.
He took Geelong to finals in his first year in charge in 2019 after winning three out of seven games but the team struggled in 2020 and again this year, registering only three victories from 15 matches.
Hood first arrived at Geelong at the end of 2010 and held multiple roles including VFL men’s coach, player development manager and Next Generation Academy manager, before heading up the club’s women’s program as VFLW coach.
Having returned to secondary school teaching on a fulltime basis in 2021 while coaching the Cats AFLW team, Hood said he left the club proud of the legacy the women’s team would leave.
“I was extremely humbled to be given an opportunity to work at the greatest club in late 2010 and can’t be more grateful for my time at the Cats,” he said.
“In the last five years it’s been a joy to work alongside our staff in the women’s program, to be a part of building something that can inspire the young women of Geelong for generations.
“I’d like to thank Simone Bellears, Ben Waller, Brett Johnson, Simon Lloyd, Natalie Wood, Monica Kelly and George Seward, along with all of our assistant and development coaches for their tremendous support of our players.
“I wish all the players in our program every success on and off the field as I look forward to playing my role supporting the VFLW program for the rest of this season, and then resume my former place in football as a mad Cats fan.”
Geelong chief executive Brian Cook said Hood had been instrumental in establishing the Cats women’s program.
“Paul has been a key leader of our women’s football program from its inception, he brought the program to life,” Cook said.
“His work with our AFLW players in recent years saw him go over and above to see them improve and succeed. Paul had a genuine care for his players, and the work he has done within our women’s football program is a testament to him as a person.
“We respect Paul’s decision to step away from his role and wish him the very best both personally and professionally.”
The club will begin a recruitment process to replace Hood in the coming weeks.