Volunteer Les Bailey has been recognised for his extraordinary contribution to the Geelong Cats after being presented with the Jack Titus Service Award by the AFL.

Bailey has been a volunteer for over 40 years at the Cats and has filled team manager roles for both the reserves side (1971-1982) and the seniors side (1983-2011). Still to this day he helps out at training where needed. 

“They were advertising for team managers for the reserves and under-19s, so I thought I’d apply for the under-19s. This was in 1971.” Bailey said.

“I went down, applied and they said “sorry, the under-19s (positon) is gone. Would you like to do the reserves?”

“I said “yeah, I’d love to.”

Bailey, who turns 75 in February, immediately told Marie his wife of 54 years, about the recognition despite being told to keep the award under his hat.

“I found out about a fortnight ago from ‘Hock’ (Cats football boss Steve Hocking) and I was stunned to get it.” Bailey said.

“It was the last thing on my mind, I’d never, ever thought of that.

“I was completely stunned. I was told not to tell anybody, so I went home and told my wife, but I never told my three kids until was announced on the AFL website.

“I still am a bit stunned."

And since the AFL announced the recognition he has not stopped smiling.

“The wife and the kids are ecstatic. They couldn’t believe it.”

“It must mean a lot to them and it means a lot to me.

“I’m still a little bit embarrassed about it."

So what does it take to get someone to devote a significant amount of their life to the Cats on a volunteer basis? Bailey says it is because it feels like home.

“It does feel like a second home.”

“The wife’s never ever gone crook, she’s been great.

“I know when I started in ’71, I knocked off work at 4:30pm, went over to Kardinia Park, started training about 5:30pm  - two nights a week, sometimes three, and I’d get home for tea at 8:00pm, and (she) never grizzled. 

“And that went on for about 16 years, so she’s been very good.”

And despite some of the greatest Cats players playing for the hoops during his time, Bailey doesn’t struggle to pinpoint his favourite three.

“The three best players I’ve been involved with are all Gs – Gary (Ablett) Senior, Gary Junior and Garry Hocking.”

“They were great."

Bailey knows that eventually his contribution to the club will finish but he isn’t thinking that will be anytime soon.

“The time will come, for sure. But, at the moment, no.”

“I just enjoy it and I love coming down."