A lifelong Geelong fan has paid homage to his beloved Cats in a unique way.
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At 78, Warrnambool grandfather Lochie Keats had no qualms turning what started as a short-term texta tribute into a permanent reminder of their stunning 2022 AFL premiership.
Mr Keats accepted a bet with friend Gary Cooper to have 'too good, too slow, too old, Go Cats, 2022 premiers' tattooed on his head following the Cats' grand final win in September.
"We went to the bowls club and had a few beers and he said 'I bet you $50 you're not game to put it on permanently' and I said 'you're on'," he told The Standard.
"I used to wear a hat all the time and I wore a hat for 10 days after and my wife (Heather) didn't see it.
"We had friends coming up from Queensland and that night we were having tea and Heather said 'how did you keep that (their friends' visit) a secret?'
"I said 'I have another secret too' and took the hat off and she said 'you're a fool'."
Mr Keats said getting the tattoo at his age was a bit of fun and he'd visited Kardinia Park to show the Cats' players.
He rated the premiership as the best he'd seen in his lifetime and conceded he "thought Sydney would beat them".
"They're the best club in the league and the guys are so friendly down there," Mr Keats said.
As for who is his favourite Cat? An Ablett of course.
But splitting dad Gary Sr - one of the game's most mercurial forwards - and son Gary Jr - a two-time Brownlow Medallist - is a harder task.
"They're equal," he said.
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