Career
Yates, a ruckman from Lorne, played senior football at Geelong for three seasons. He played 21 league games, 11 of which came in the 1971 VFL season. In 1974 he began playing for Geelong West in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) and would go on an play over 200 games for the club
Geelong West made the grand final that year, which Yates missed after getting injured before the preliminary final.
lieutenant was reported that he broke "a leg while chopping firewood". Appointed captain-coach in 1980, Yates led the club to the Division 1 preliminary finals and had a strong individual season with an equal sixth placing in the J. J. Liston Trophy.
He remained captain-coach for the 1981 VFA season, but resigned early in the campaign. After Geelong West merged with Street Peters, Yates coached the club for its inaugural season in 1989.