Brian Cook (football administrator)
Encyclopedia
Brian Cook is a former Australian rules football
player who is now administrator, currently Chief executive officer
(CEO) of the Geelong Football Club
.
with Box Hill for a total of 27 senior games and 20 goals with that club.
Cook played four games with Melbourne Football Club
in 1977 after moving from Hawthorn Football Club
where he played nearly 50 games in the reserves team (although none at senior VFL level).
He moved to Western Australia
to pursue a Master of Education at the University of Western Australia
whilst continuing his playing career with East Perth
and Subiaco
.
Playing for Rockingham in the Sunday Football League Cook won the 1983 Bowden Medal for fairest and best player.
Turning to coaching, he guided East Perth to two WAFL
reserves premierships and was later senior coach at Ainslie in the ACTFL in 1986.
.
He then returned to Perth and spent two years as the general manager of the West Australian Football Development Trust and a further two years as CEO of the West Australian Football Commission
before being appointed as CEO of the West Coast Eagles
in 1990.
During his nine years at the Eagles, the club quadrupled its membership, dramatically increased revenue and became the first non-Victoria
n club to win the AFL
premiership, in 1992, and also winning the 1994
AFL flag. Ironically, both successes achieved against Geelong.
Appointed as CEO of the Geelong Football Club in 1999, Cook has overseen a complete overhaul of the once-struggling club's finances as well as being a key supporter of former coach Mark Thompson along with club president Frank Costa
.
Cook has been suggested as a potential future Australian Football League
CEO, and was also suggested as a possible CEO for the new expansion teams, Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
player who is now administrator, currently Chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
(CEO) of the Geelong Football Club
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
.
Playing and coaching career
In 1973 and 1974 Cook played in the Victorian Football AssociationVictorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
with Box Hill for a total of 27 senior games and 20 goals with that club.
Cook played four games with Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
in 1977 after moving from Hawthorn Football Club
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
where he played nearly 50 games in the reserves team (although none at senior VFL level).
He moved to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
to pursue a Master of Education at the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
whilst continuing his playing career with East Perth
East Perth Football Club
The East Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Royals, is an Australian rules football club that is a member of the West Australian Football League...
and Subiaco
Subiaco Football Club
The Subiaco Football Club, nicknamed the Lions, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . It was founded in 1896, and admitted to the WAFL in 1901, along with North Fremantle...
.
Playing for Rockingham in the Sunday Football League Cook won the 1983 Bowden Medal for fairest and best player.
Turning to coaching, he guided East Perth to two WAFL
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
reserves premierships and was later senior coach at Ainslie in the ACTFL in 1986.
Administration career
Cook moved to Canberra in 1986 and took up the post of National Sports Research Coordinator with the Australian Sports CommissionAustralian Sports Commission
The Australian Sports Commission is the governing body responsible for distributing funds and providing strategic guidance for sporting activity in Australia. It is an agency of the Government of Australia within the portfolio of Health and Ageing...
.
He then returned to Perth and spent two years as the general manager of the West Australian Football Development Trust and a further two years as CEO of the West Australian Football Commission
West Australian Football Commission
The West Australian Football Commission is the governing body of Australian rules football in the state of Western Australia.It was formed in 1989 as an independent body to the West Australian Football League for governance and development of the game in the state.The WAFC operates Subiaco Oval,...
before being appointed as CEO of the West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
in 1990.
During his nine years at the Eagles, the club quadrupled its membership, dramatically increased revenue and became the first non-Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
n club to win the AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
premiership, in 1992, and also winning the 1994
1994 AFL Grand Final
The 1994 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Geelong Football Club and West Coast Eagles, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 1 October 1994. It was the 98th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League,...
AFL flag. Ironically, both successes achieved against Geelong.
Appointed as CEO of the Geelong Football Club in 1999, Cook has overseen a complete overhaul of the once-struggling club's finances as well as being a key supporter of former coach Mark Thompson along with club president Frank Costa
Frank Costa
Frank Costa OAM is an entrepreneur, 1997 Order of Australia Medal recipient, and philanthropist. The Geelong native has been a prominent figure in the region for more than four decades, after inheriting the family's produce business in the late 1950s...
.
Cook has been suggested as a potential future Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
CEO, and was also suggested as a possible CEO for the new expansion teams, Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney.