The Geelong Football Club will acknowledge the passing of Mick Turner, Bill McMaster, Ken Newland and Troy Selwood in the lead up to Saturday afternoon's game against Fremantle.
All four individuals had a profound impact during their time with the Cats, performing a number of different roles both on and off the field.
Prior to Saturday's match, the Cats will acknowledge the four men with fans encouraged to be in their seats prior to 1.00pm to view slides on the big screen.
Geelong players will also be wearing black armbands during Saturday's game, as a sign of respect in remembrance of the four club greats.
Bill McMaster was regarded as a pioneer of the game, a dual premiership player in 1951 and 1952 while playing 61 games for Geelong.
He returned as the Cats coach in 1971, before becoming Football’s first ever full-time recruiting officer in 1973, a role he held at the Club until his retirement in 1994.
His unique contribution to our game saw him awarded GFC life membership, Jack Titus Service Award and R.J Hickey Awards. He was also awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000.
In January 2024, McMaster received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division for service to Australian rules football in the Barwon South West Region.
Ken Newland was an instrumental player for the Cats between 1965 and 1978, playing 198 games for the club and 216 VFL games in total.
Creating a legacy in Geelong’s iconic number three guernsey, Newland featured in numerous Finals series, the 1967 VFL Grand Final and a Reserves Premiership during his time at the club.
After his retirement from the VFL, Newland was recognised as an influential figure at the Geelong Football Club and was inducted to the Club’s Hall of Fame.
Mick Turner was an iconic figure in Australian Rules Football, who played 245 games and kicked 285 goals for the Club between 1974 and 1988.
Named wingman in Geelong’s team of the century on the opposite wing to his father, Mick was also an All-Australian in 1979 and led Geelong’s goal kicking in 1982 with 40 goals. Mick also kicked the goal of the year in 1980 against Richmond.
Mick spent 25 years at the Geelong Falcons as their Talent Manager helping 134 men and women fulfil their dream of making it onto an AFL or AFLW list, including Gary Ablett Jnr, Cameron Ling, Patrick Dangerfield, Nina Morrison and Jimmy Bartel to name a few.
Troy Selwood spent over 10 years at the Cats from 2011, firstly with the VFL, guiding the team to the Premiership in 2012 as captain, before moving into various off-field roles at the Club including football operations, academy manager and talent ID manager from 2017-2021.
Selwood was also a highly regarded player on the field, featuring in 75 AFL games for the Brisbane Lions between 2003 and 2010.
The Geelong Football Club will acknowledge these four iconic figures during Saturday's match against Fremantle at GMHBA Stadium.
