Steve Hocking has defended Geelong's secret concussion deal with Jake Kolodjashnij, saying there is "not a lot" the club would change in how it dealt with the issue.
The Cats chief executive said Geelong would hold a board meeting on Monday morning as they brace for a massive penalty from the AFL, who have issued the club a "please explain" notice.
Pressure has been mounting on Geelong and the AFL since it emerged on Thursday that the Cats struck an agreement with Kolodjashnij, who had a history of concussion, that went unsighted by the league and the AFLPA.
Coach Chris Scott has indicated he doesn't expect to be involved in Geelong's response to the league.
Kolodjashnij signed a waiver that meant he effectively took on legal responsibility for future brain trauma in a bid to exonerate the club and its medical staff from potential court action.
Asked on the weekend what the club would change, Hocking told Geelong radio station K-Rock "not a lot".
"As a leader it's really important to take ownership and just lead through this. It's not easy to do, but I wouldn't change too much - we are a really good football club," Hocking said.
"I know there are people out there who say culturally we are maybe not as strong as we have been, but we do so much right and occasionally there might be one or two per cent we don't get right.
"In this case that will be proven, I would suggest, that will be proven with the please explain. We don't get everything right."
The full four-and-a-half minute section of Chris Scott's press conference on the Cats' secret deal with Jake Kolodjashnij ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/DQssuDwnLY
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) August 8, 2026
On Friday, Hocking had said Scott had been kept "at arm's length" in regards to the situation, while Kolodjashnij confirmed he was the player involved.
After Geelong's 67-point win over Essendon on Saturday evening, Scott echoed those comments and insisted he didn't know enough about the situation to give an informed opinion on it.
Scott said he had only found out about the deal when the story broke on Thursday and described himself as "one of the least informed people here" when pressed on whether he felt the Cats had erred.
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon did the radio rounds on Saturday and indicated he expected answers from Geelong next week, before the league makes any decisions.
Scott made it clear he didn't expect to be involved in that process at least.
"My take on these things is I'm brought in on the things where people think I need to be brought in, and I haven't been brought in to this point and I suspect I won't be," he said.
"I appreciate the questions.
"Even going forward - I'll do two press conferences a week for the next couple of weeks. Don't stop asking me if you want to, but I don't think the answer will change."
The questions appear certain to keep coming as the concussion scandal grows - after the AFL initially didn't hand down any sanction on Thursday.
Already on Saturday, AFL Commission chairman Craig Drummond, who was Geelong president when the deal was signed, apologised over the deal.
That follows Hocking on Friday taking responsibility for signing off on the deal which he described as a "misstep".
"Regardless of the player's agreement, the club went too far in adding a waiver into an informed consent document and it will be removed," Drummond said in a statement.
"... As the club has also acknowledged, there was also a process failure in relation to lodgement of the agreement with the AFL and the AFLPA."
Drummond won't be involved in the AFL's assessment and deliberation of the Kolodjashnij situation.
