He had returned from overseas last week to be with his family as his health deteriorated, he passed away at his Melbourne home with his family by his side.
“Geoffrey was just one of the best people you could ever hope to meet,” Swans chairman Richard Colless said.
“Given his involvement with the club in the hard times it was so appropriate that he was sitting in the coaches box on grand final day 2005.”
Coach Paul Roos said; “It’s a very sad day for me personally and also for the Sydney Swans Football Club. My thoughts and prayers go out to Geoff’s wife Linda and the family,” he said.
“Geoff was a dear friend and mentor, both in football and in business and we sometimes talked about how the two were related. Through our discussions Geoff would often give me some advice which I believe has helped me tremendously in my career.
“It was a real pleasure to have him in the coaches box when he came home from overseas and he will be greatly missed by everyone at the club.”
Geoff Polites was Senior Team Manager of the Sydney Swans for many years before heading to Europe after a spectacular rise through the ranks of Ford Australia.
He had held several posts with Ford until 1988, when he resigned to work with the City Ford dealership in Sydney. In 1999 he sold his interests in City Ford and rejoined Ford Australia as president.
All the while, despite his esteemed position in the motoring world Geoff Polites remained a passionate Sydney Swans supporter and regularly sat on the interchange bench assisting on most game days when his schedule permitted.
Former Swans captain and current Dealer Principal at City Ford Dennis Carroll had a close personal and professional relationship with Geoff Polites through his positions at the Swans and also City Ford.
“Geoff was a great personal friend and mentor, someone who loved the Sydney Swans club and did everything in his powers to help the club succeed, we will all miss him greatly,” Dennis Carroll said.
In recent years Geoff had been working in Europe where, from 2005 he held the position of CEO of Jaguar Land Rover. Previously he had been vice president for marketing, sales and service for Ford of Europe.
"His passion for the car business was legend, but the resolve he showed since taking over as CEO of Jaguar Land Rover ... was something very special," Lewis Booth, executive vice president of Ford's European units, said in a statement.
The sympathy of the Sydney Swans family goes out to Geoff’s wife Linda and sons Chris and Brent.
In honour of Geoff Polites, the senior team will wear black armbands in Sunday’s game against the Kangaroos at the Telstra Dome.
