GEELONG has landed an off-field coup by luring to the club one of the AFL's key architects of its salary cap and player movement policies.
Simon Murphy will take on a position in the Cats' football operations team in 2019, just months after playing a crucial role in the introduction of NAB AFL Draft live trading.
After working alongside AFL player movement boss Ken Wood for several years, Murphy will take critical intellectual property to the Cats, working across compliance and the club's list structure.
AFL.com.au understands rival AFL clubs this week became aware of Murphy's move down the highway, only months after liaising with him for the draft and NAB AFL Trade Period.
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On hand for Geelong's training session at Deakin University on Wednesday, Murphy will work closely with head of football Simon Lloyd and list manager Stephen Wells.
Murphy has been at the forefront of the AFL's implementation of future-pick swapping and this year travelled to the NFL Draft to learn about in-draft trading.
Murphy was on-hand for all key trades including Dayne Beams and Dylan Shiel's moves in this year's frantic final hour of live trading, after emerging as Wood's right-hand man in recent years
It comes as the Cats tinker with their football department following the move of football operations assistant Sophia Samartzis to a new role in women's football at the AFL.
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Dual premiership forward Mathew Stokes has also returned to the Cats from AFL House and will work in a new indigenous engagement position.
It continues a long-running association between the AFL and Geelong, with former Cats football boss Steve Hocking now AFL football operations manager.
Another keen onlooker for Wednesday's training session was former Socceroo and Melbourne Victory defender Adrian Leijer.
Leijer is undergoing work experience at the club as he looks to further his development while studying sports management during his off-season from playing in Korea.
