Geelong Football Club

Quick facts for kids Geelong Football Club
Names
Full name	Geelong Football Club Limited
Nickname(s)	Cats
Former nickname(s)	Pivotonians, Seagulls
2025 season
After finals	Runners-up
Home-and-away season	2nd
Leading goalkicker	Jeremy Cameron (88 goals)
Club details
Founded	18 July 1859; 166 years ago (18 July 1859)
Colours	Navy blue, white
Competition	AFL: Senior men AFLW: Senior women (national level) VFL: Reserves men VFLW: Senior women (state level)
President	Grant McCabe
CEO	Steve Hocking
Coach	AFL: Chris Scott AFLW: Daniel Lowther VFL: Mark Corrigan VFLW: Taylah Hassett
Captain(s)	AFL: Patrick Dangerfield AFLW: Meg McDonald VFL: Dan Capiron VFLW: Mel Staunton
Premierships	VFL/AFL (10) 1925 1931 1937 1951 1952 1963 2007 2009 2011 2022 VFA (7) 1878 1879 1880 1882 1883 1884 1886 Reserves/VFL (16) 1923 1924 1930, 1937 1938 1948 1960 1963 1964 1975 1980 1981 1982 2002 2007 2012
Ground(s)	GMHBA Stadium (capacity: 40,000)
	Melbourne Cricket Ground (capacity: 100,024)
Former ground(s)	Corio Oval (1878-1940)
Training ground(s)	Deakin University Elite Sports Precinct GMHBA Stadium
Uniforms
Home Away
Other information
Official website	www.geelongcats.com.au
Current season

The Geelong Football Club, known as the Cats, is a professional Australian rules football team. They are based in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The club plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), which is the top competition for the sport. Formed on April 13, 1859, it is the second-oldest AFL team and one of the oldest football clubs in the world.

In the early days, Geelong played in various competitions. They were a founding member of the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877 and the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1897. The VFL later became the national AFL. The club won many championships, including seven VFA premierships between 1878 and 1886. They also won six VFL premierships by 1963. After a long wait, they won another premiership in 2007 with a huge victory. Geelong continued their success, winning three more premierships in 2009, 2011, and 2022. The Cats have strong rivalries with the Hawthorn and Collingwood teams.

Geelong plays most of its home games at Kardinia Park in South Geelong. This stadium is also called GMHBA Stadium for sponsorship reasons. They also play some games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The team's traditional uniform colors are navy blue and white hoops. The nickname "Cats" started in 1923. A cartoonist suggested a black cat might bring them good luck after some losses. The club's official song is "We Are Geelong".

Geelong also has a men's reserve team in the Victorian Football League (VFL). They have a senior women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW) and a women's reserve team in the VFL Women's (VFLW) competitions.

The Geelong Cats: A Rich History

This chart shows Geelong's yearly ladder positions in the VFL/AFL.

The Geelong Football Club was founded in 1859 in Geelong, Australia. This makes it the second-oldest AFL club. It is also one of the oldest football clubs in the world and has been very successful. At first, the club played by its own rules. Some of these rules were even adopted into Australian Football. In the early 1860s, they started using the official Laws of Australian Football.

Geelong has almost always played in the top football competitions. They were a founding club of the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877. They also helped start the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1897. Today, they compete in the elite Australian Football League (AFL). The Cats have won the VFL/AFL premiership ten times. Four of these wins were in the modern AFL era (since 1990): in 2007, 2009, 2011, and most recently, 2022. This makes them one of the most successful clubs in that period. They have also won the McClelland Trophy eleven times, which is more than any other AFL/VFL club.

Geelong's Team Spirit and Look

Team Colors and Uniforms

A Geelong player's uniform in 1895.

Geelong's traditional navy blue and white striped uniform, called a guernsey, has been worn since the club began in the mid-1800s. People say the design represents the white seagulls and blue water of Corio Bay nearby.

Since 1998, the team has also worn different away uniforms. These always feature the club's logo and traditional colors.

Why "The Cats"?

Geelong has been known as the "Cats" since 1923. After a tough start to a season, a cartoonist suggested that a black cat might bring the club good luck. A local business person quickly started selling badges with a black cat on them at games. Soon after, Geelong won four games in a row! This made the cat a special part of the club's story forever.

Before this, Geelong was sometimes called the "Pivotonians." This name came from the city's nickname, "the Pivot." They were also called the "Seagulls" because Geelong is by the sea.

Our Team Song

Geelong's official club song is "We Are Geelong." The music comes from the "Toreador" from the opera Carmen. The words were written by a former premiership player, John Watts. For many years, only the first part was sung at games. However, since the start of the 2025 season, both parts of the song are played. The version used today was recorded by the Fable Singers in 1972. Here are the words:

We are Geelong, the greatest team of all

We are Geelong; we're always on the ball

We play the game as it should be played

At home or far away

Our banners fly high, from dawn to dark

Down at Kardinia Park.

So! Stand up and fight, remember our tradition

Stand up and fight, it's always our ambition

Throughout the game to fight with all our might

Because we're the mighty blue and white

And when the ball is bounced, to the final bell

Stand up and fight like hell!

In the 1980s and 1990s, Geelong tried other team songs. These included "C'mon the Cats!" and "Cat Attack." But fans preferred the traditional song. In 2022, the club brought back "Cat Attack" for a special "Retro Round." They have continued to play it after wins at Kardinia Park.

Where the Cats Play and Train

Geelong's main office is at its home stadium, GMHBA Stadium. This stadium is also known as Kardinia Park. The club trains here during the football season. They also train at another special facility, the Deakin University Elite Sports Precinct. This place has a large oval, similar in size to the MCG. It is often used by the club before the season starts, especially when Kardinia Park is busy with other events.

Exciting Rivalries

Geelong vs. Hawthorn

The games between Hawthorn and Geelong are always very exciting. Two Grand Finals really show this rivalry: in 1989 and 2008. In the 1989 Grand Final, Geelong played very aggressively. Hawthorn won that game, but Geelong almost caught up in the last quarter.

In the 2008 Grand Final, Geelong was expected to win easily, having lost only one game all season. But Hawthorn surprised everyone and won! After this, Geelong won their next eleven games against Hawthorn over five years. This winning streak was sometimes called the "Kennett curse". It was later shared that after the 2008 Grand Final, a Geelong player named Paul Chapman made a promise with his teammates to never lose to Hawthorn again. This streak ended in 2013. Hawthorn then won the next three premierships. Many games between these two teams have been very close and thrilling.

Geelong vs. Collingwood

Geelong and Collingwood also have a long and exciting rivalry. In 1925, Geelong won their first championship against Collingwood. In 1930, Collingwood beat Geelong in the Grand Final. But Geelong stopped Collingwood from winning three championships in a row in 1937, winning a famous Grand Final by 32 points.

These two teams played many important games in the 1950s. Geelong easily beat Collingwood in the 1952 Grand Final. In 1953, Collingwood ended Geelong's amazing 23-game winning streak. They also beat Geelong in the Grand Final that year.

Since 2007, both clubs have been top teams and have met often in finals. Geelong won a memorable preliminary final in 2007. In 2011, they met again in a Grand Final, which Geelong won by 38 points. Geelong caused Collingwood's only three losses that entire 2011 season.

Club Support and Partners

Sponsors

Geelong has a very long partnership with the Ford Motor Company. This sponsorship has lasted 100 years as of 2025! It is one of the longest active sports sponsorships in the world, starting way back in 1925.

More recently, a company from Geelong called Cotton On Group has also become a big partner. They have made the team's uniforms and other merchandise since 2016.

AFL Sponsors

AFL Women's Sponsors

Our Amazing Supporters

Geelong's supporters showed up in huge numbers for the 2009 AFL Grand Final against St Kilda.

Troy West, a well-known supporter nicknamed "Catman."

Geelong players get ready to run through a banner made by their supporters before a match in June 2013.

The Geelong Football Club has a large and dedicated group of supporters. They show their love for the team by becoming members and attending games. The table below shows how many members the club has had and the average number of people who came to home games each year.

Players and Staff

Chris Scott is the club's current head coach.

Patrick Dangerfield is the club's current captain.

Current Playing List and Coaches

Club Leaders

• President: Craig Drummond
• Vice President: Diana Taylor
• Chief Executive Officer: Steve Hocking
• General Manager – Football: Simon Lloyd

Club Records and Achievements

Championships and Awards

Geelong has won many championships and awards throughout its history. Here are some of their major achievements:

Win-Loss Records Against Other Clubs

Awarded to the "best and fairest" player during the AFL's home-and-away season, the Brownlow Medal, football's most prestigious award, is named after Geelong player and administrator Charles "Chas" Brownlow.

Geelong footballer Edward "Carji" Greeves, winner of the first Brownlow Medal in 1924. The Carji Greeves Medal for Geelong's best player is named after him.

This table shows how Geelong has performed against other VFL/AFL clubs over time. It lists the total games played (T), wins (W), losses (L), draws (D), and their winning percentage (Win%).

Memorable Match Records

Here are some of Geelong's most notable records from VFL/AFL matches:

Team of the Century

Geelong's Reserves Team

The Geelong reserves team is also known as the Bendigo Bank Cats due to sponsorship. This team plays in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Reserves Team History

Geelong's reserves team started playing in the Victorian Junior Football League in 1922. This league later became known as the VFL/AFL reserves. The team won thirteen championships during that time, which is more than any other club.

After the AFL reserves competition ended, the Geelong reserves continued to play in the Victorian Football League. Unlike most other Victorian AFL clubs, Geelong has always had its own stand-alone reserves team. This team includes reserve players from the main AFL team and other players who only play in VFL matches. Home games are played at GMHBA Stadium. Some of these games are played before the senior AFL matches.

Reserves Team Honours

• Premierships (3): 2002, 2007, 2012
• Runners-ups (2): 2006, 2013
• Minor premierships (2): 2002, 2013
• Wooden spoons (1): 2005

Geelong's Women's Teams

In 2017, after the first AFL Women's (AFLW) season, Geelong was one of eight clubs that wanted to join the competition. In September 2017, the club was chosen to have a team in the AFLW starting in 2019. The club has also had a team in the VFL Women's league, which is a second-tier competition, since 2017.

The AFL Women's team has reached the finals three times. In the 2023 season, they made it to the preliminary final before losing to the eventual champions.

AFL Women's Team Squad

Women's Match Records

Here are some of the Geelong AFLW team's most notable match records:

Community Involvement

Supporting Equal Rights

The Geelong Football Club has shown its support for equal rights for all people.

Supporting Indigenous Voices

The club also supported efforts to give Indigenous Australians a stronger voice in decisions affecting them.

See also

In Spanish: Geelong Football Club para niños

• Sport in Australia
• Sport in Victoria
• List of Geelong Football Club players, captains and coaches
• 1963 Miracle Match