Ash Bolt
Geelong has strengthened its football department ahead of the 2022 AFL season, with the addition of Matthew Egan, Harry Taylor and Jason Lappin.
Egan returns to the club as head of player development, Taylor as head of medical and conditioning services and Lappin as football analyst.
General manager of football Simon Lloyd said the club was pleased to see Egan return to the club after stints as an assistant coach at Essendon and development coach at Melbourne.
“Matthew is well known to many at the club and has had success in many roles in football over the past decade,” he said.
“He started his post-playing career working in development here at the Cats, and now returns to head up that area working across our entire playing group.
“Matt has gained significant experience since moving to Essendon and Melbourne, and it is great to have him back at GMHBA Stadium where he is highly regarded.”
Harry Taylor also returns to the club where he played 280 gaes and won two premierships.
Since retiring after the 2020 AFL Grand Final, Taylor had moved to Western Australia was working with younger players at East Fremantle.
“Harry has always been a leader in his time at the club, and after a year away we are pleased to have worked through a role that uses his experiences as a player in high performance and management,” Lloyd said.
“Harry is one of the most respected people that we have had at the club, and we are all excited to welcome him to this new role.”
Taylor will take up his role in January.
Lappin joins the Cats from Ballarat Grammar School after more than 10 years in North Melbourne’s football department.
“Jason spent well over a decade at North Melbourne in a variety of roles, including as an assistant coach and football analyst,” Lloyd said.
“He has a unique skillset and will work in football analytics with us as we expand that area of our football department.”
The Cats had previously announced it had added three-time premiership Cat James Kelly and recently-retired Eddie Betts to the coaching staff.
