Current Geelong football boss Steve Hocking will be unveiled as the AFL's new head of football operations on Thursday, and will take the position made vacant by Simon Lethlean earlier this season.
Hocking just edged out Carlton's head of football Andrew McKay, who was also seen as a favourite for the job.
The former Cats defender will finish the season at Geelong before moving into his new role at AFL House.
It's the second time in four seasons that Geelong will need to look for a new football boss, after Neil Balme left the club for Collingwood in late 2014.
Hocking has been in the Geelong ranks for over a decade, and was alongside Balme during the club's the club's premiership successes in 2007, 2009 and 2011.
Lethlean left his position in July this season, after he was one of two AFL officials embroiled in a scandal among AFL employees.
