Joeys appoint O’Bree as school football coach

ST JOSEPH’S College Geelong has appointed former AFL star Shane O’Bree as its school football coach for 2025.

O’Bree played 246 games for Collingwood and Brisbane from 1998 to 2010.

The 45-year-old then went on to be a midfield coach at Gold Coast, before joining Geelong as an assistant senior coach.

O’Bree led the Cats’ VFL side between 2016 and 2022 and has spent the last two years as an AFL midfield coach and list assistant.

He said he was excited to work with the more than 600 students involved across football programs at the college.

“The opportunity to coach at St Joseph’s College is something I am very passionate about, by helping young people perform their best.

“They have a rich history of producing elite players, and to have the opportunity to work with some of the best talent in the region was too good an opportunity to pass up.

“Thank you to Tony Paatsch and the team for the opportunity to join St Joseph’s College to undertake the role.”

St Joseph’s College has been a breeding ground for AFL stars, with 39 former Joeys students making the top league.

Tom Stewart, Jack Henry, Ollie Henry, Tanner Bruhn and Ted Closehy are all past students now in the hoops at Geelong.

Principal Tony Paatsch said O’Bree would help unearth the next generation of football stars.

“I’m delighted to announce that we have appointed Shane to coach our First XVIII in 2025.

” From our first meeting with Shane, we were excited about the development and opportunity for our students to have someone of Shane’s experience guide them.

“Shane will be working with our AFL teams at training and for their Associated Catholic Colleges games over the course of the year.”

St Joseph’s College will also launch its new Ad Alta Emerging Athlete Program, a new personalised high-performance training pathway, in 2025.

The program will empower students with the skills, knowledge and resources to thrive in their chosen sport while maintaining academic excellence.