FORMER dual-premiership player Josh Hunt says Geelong doesn't pay lip service when it comes to welcoming former stars back to the club regardless of whether they extend their careers at another club.
The Cats delisted Hunt at the end of 2013 after 198 games and 12 seasons and he joined Greater Western Sydney as a delisted free agent in his final year
He played 14 games for the Giants before calling it quits.
However Hunt told AFL.com.au he has returned to the Cats since and was welcomed with open arms.
"The beauty of the footy club is that they stand true to their word and you can go with their blessing and they welcome you back with open arms," Hunt said.
Geelong has announced that Mathew Stokes and James Kelly will play their final game for the Cats on Saturday and speculation continues to surround Steve Johnson's future with the club.
"Any of those guys that are mentioned that decide to retire have been champions of the Geelong footy club," Hunt said.
"Whatever decision they make after that I don't think that has anything to do with the legacy they are going to leave behind at Geelong."
Hunt said if the two players had an opportunity to continue their career at another club, then they needed to make a decision that suited them.
"That is their call on their own destiny and their own careers," Hunt said.
"If for some reason clubs feel like they need to move you on, whether because it is the path they are going and they feel like you are no longer a piece of their puzzle, and you can go somewhere else and [play], then I can't see any harm in doing that."
Hunt said he enjoyed the opportunity to pass on his experience to some of his teammates, and the year at the Giants was beneficial to his own development.
Geelong president Colin Carter told reporters a lot of heroes had left the club in the past, and a lot would leave in the future, but supporters understood why that would happen, even if they might occasionally quibble with the timing.
"The most important thing from our point of view is that these guys move on, whenever they do, to successful careers and in 10 years time they look back on their period at the club as a highlight of their lives," Carter said.
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Carter said he had no problem if a former Cat decided to extend his career at another club.
"If any person can find a better opportunity for themselves elsewhere, then I think good employers don't stand in their road. So if some of our players can construct an opportunity elsewhere that they can't do here, then I think they do that with our blessing," he said.
Premiership players Paul Chapman, Shannon Byrnes, James Podsiadly and Hunt all played extra seasons at new clubs in the twilight of their careers after departing Geelong.
Hunt is now playing with Southport Sharks in Queensland, assisting with the coaching of that team and is involved with AFL Queensland but remains a Geelong man.
"It was a really nice feeling to be welcome back in there and feel part of the furniture again," Hunt said.
