GEELONG has lost valued football manager Steve Hocking to one of the most influential roles in the AFL with the Cats possessing some mixed emotions about the move.

The AFL today appointed the key Cat as its football operations manager, replacing Simon Lethlean who resigned in July after it emerged that he had an affair with a younger female staff member.

Geelong CEO Brian Cook said Hocking would go with his blessing at the conclusion of Geelong’s finals campaign.

“It’s sad to see Steve go but it’s a great opportunity for him and it’s great for the industry,” Cook said.

“But the good thing is Steve won’t be leaving until after the finals campaign so that’s our priority at the moment and Steve is running that show to make sure we do our absolute best in the finals.

media_camera Steve Hocking will be the new AFL operations manager.

“And then after that Steve will head to Melbourne with the AFL.”

Chief among Hocking’s first items on the agenda will be a complete review of the match review panel, including the potential to take extra penalties away from challenging, and an assessment on whether the AFL keeps or bans the bounce.

He has strong opinions on both, but would not be drawn on them until he officially starts in the role.

The former Geelong defender and long-time club administrator will continue in his role with the Cats until the end of the finals series before moving up to Melbourne and commencing at AFL Headquarters.

He won’t be involved in trade discussions involving Geelong’s bid to lure Gary Ablett home from the Gold Coast, but acknowledged the romanticism of the Brownlow medallist potentially returning home.

AFL boss Gill McLachlan said Hocking would be “a great custodian who will lead the game into a new era.”

“He is a football person ... He is a strong person, has high conviction in life and certainly in football. He will bring to the role views across all of the game.”

Hocking said he was “humbled” to take on the role.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of the AFL and the broader game,” he said.

“I had a fabulous job at Geelong ... The fact is I was keen to do the (AFL) role. I’m really looking forward to using the skills I’ve learnt at Geelong and placing them within this role at the AFL and working across 18 clubs.”

Hocking has led the Cats football department since the end of 2014 after the departure of Neil Balme, following a short stint in commercial operations at the club.

The 52-year-old has been a key member of the club’s football department during its run of three premierships in five years between 2007 and 2011.

Hocking also played 199 games for the Cats.

Geelong will wait until after the finals to search for a replacement, but it is understood it will search far and wide for the best candidates for the job.

Cook said Hocking’s appointment was clearly another tick for the off-field development of the club’s staff.

“There’s no doubt about that, we’ve developed a few very good executives in or time. The Stuart Fox’s of the world and so on, so we’re proud of that,” Cook said.

“Sometime after the finals we’ll commence the (replacement) process more diligently and more publicly, but in the next three or four weeks it’s just business as usual really.

“We’ll look for the best candidate around Australia.”

The AFL was forced to search for a replacement for Lethlean when he resigned after just four months in the role following Mark Evans’ departure to the Gold Coast.

AFL legal counsel and game development chief Andrew Dillon has been acting general manager of football.