Greater Western Victoria Rebels assistant coach Jason Lappin is AFL bound after accepting a role with Geelong.
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Lappin joins former Cats' players Matthew Egan (head of player development), Harry Taylor (head of medical and conditioning services) and James Kelly (assistant coach) as inclusions to the football department.
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Carlton legend Eddie Betts (development coach) has also joined the staff.
It follows the departures of Matthew Scarlett (stepping away), Corey Enright (St Kilda) and Matthew Knights (West Coast).
Lappin's exact role at the club is still being worked out as the new coaching group come together and begin their time with the Cats.
Speaking to The Courier, Lappin said he was excited to be back in the AFL system.
"Really happy to be back," he said.
"Really excited to be going to what's been a highly successful footy program. Really looking forward to getting started in that."
His hiring follows a decade at North Melbourne, where he undertook roles such as development and assistant coach, head of performance analytics and head of football performance.
Lappin's role was made redundant there at the end of 2020 as the board was forced to cut 50 per cent of positions in the footy department due to COVID-19.
He spent the 2021 year at the Rebels and Ballarat Grammar.
"I hadn't coached under-age footy a lot in the past, especially elite level," he said.
"It was a really good opportunity for me to go back and help Deeks (David Loader) out with the NAB League, both the boys and the girls.
"It was good to get back and do some real coaching and (I) really enjoyed that."
Looking to Geelong, Lappin is excited to join a newly formed coaching panel and quality playing group.
"It is an exciting opportunity because I guess they've had a pretty stable group for a while there now and they've had a pretty stable playing group as well I guess and experienced playing group," he said.
"It's good to get a new group together and it's certainly exciting for me to be coming into that group to bring my ideas in but also for me to learn from others as well."
Lappin will join cousin Nigel Lappin in the coaching group, the first time the pair have worked together in their professional sporting careers.
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