Geelong Football Club facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Geelong Football Club
Names
Full name	Geelong Football Club Limited
Nickname(s)	Cats
Former nickname(s)	Pivotonians, Seagulls
2024 season
After finals	3rd
Home-and-away season	3rd
Leading goalkicker	Jeremy Cameron (64 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: Elise Coventry
Captain(s)	AFL: Patrick Dangerfield AFLW: Meg McDonald VFL: Dan Capiron VFLW: Abby Favell, Liv Stewart & Poppy Schaap
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, also known as the Cats, is a professional Australian rules football team. They are based in South Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The club plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), which is the top competition for the sport.

Geelong was started on April 13, 1859. This makes it the second-oldest AFL team after Melbourne. It is also one of the oldest football clubs in the world.

In the 1860s, Geelong played in early football competitions. They were a founding member of the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877. They also helped start the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1897, which is now the AFL. The club won seven VFA championships between 1878 and 1886. They also won six VFL championships by 1963. After a long wait, they won their next championship in 2007. This was a huge win by 119 points. Geelong won three more championships in 2009, 2011, and 2022. The Cats have strong rivalries with Hawthorn and Collingwood.

Geelong plays most of its home games at GMHBA Stadium. Some games are played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The team's traditional uniform colours are navy blue and white hoops. The nickname "Cats" started in 1923. A cartoonist suggested a black cat might bring the team good luck after some losses. Geelong also has other teams. These include a men's reserves team in the Victorian Football League (VFL). They also have a senior women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Plus, there's a women's reserves team in the VFL Women's (VFLW). The club's official song is "We Are Geelong".

Club History

Chart of yearly ladder positions for Geelong in VFL/AFL

The Geelong Football Club was founded in 1859. It is the second oldest AFL club. It is also one of the oldest and most successful football clubs in the world. At first, Geelong played by its own rules. Some of these rules were later added to 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 play in the elite Australian Football League (AFL). The Cats have won the VFL/AFL premiership ten times. Four of these wins were in the AFL era (since 1990). These wins were in 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2022. This makes them the second most successful club in that time. They have also won ten McClelland Trophies. This is more than any other AFL/VFL club.

Many of the club's official records from before 1920 are missing.

Club Identity

Team Uniforms

Club attire in 1895 (Jim McShane pictured)

Geelong's traditional uniform is navy blue and white hoops. They have worn this design since the club started in the mid-1800s. The design is said to show the white seagulls and blue water of Corio Bay.

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

Team Nickname

Geelong has been called the 'Cats' since 1923. A local cartoonist named "Wells" suggested it. He drew a cartoon in the Herald on July 6, 1923. In the cartoon, he thought a black cat might bring the football club good luck.

Team Song: "We Are Geelong"

"We Are Geelong" is the song the team sings after winning a game. It uses the tune of "Toreador" from the opera Carmen. A former player named John Watts wrote the words. Only the first part of the song is used at games. The club started using the current version of the song in 1972.

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.

Stadium and Training

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 the Deakin University Elite Sports Precinct. This second training ground has a field the same size as the MCG. The team often uses it before the season starts. This is helpful when Kardinia Park is busy with other events.

Team Rivalries

Geelong vs. Hawthorn

The rivalry between Hawthorn and Geelong is famous for two Grand Finals. These were in 1989 and 2008. In the 1989 Grand Final, Geelong played very aggressively. Several Hawthorn players got hurt. Hawthorn led for most of the game. Geelong almost caught up in the last quarter but lost by six points.

In the 2008 Grand Final, Geelong was expected to win easily. They had only lost one game all season. But they lost to Hawthorn by 26 points. After this, Geelong won their next eleven games against Hawthorn. This winning streak was called the "Kennett curse". It was named after comments made by Hawthorn's president, Jeff Kennett. It was later shared that Geelong players made a promise after the 2008 loss to never lose to Hawthorn again. The "curse" ended in 2013. Hawthorn then won the next three championships. Many games between these two teams have been very close.

Geelong vs. Collingwood

In 1925, Geelong won their first championship against Collingwood. In 1930, Collingwood beat Geelong in the Grand Final. This gave Collingwood four championships in a row. Geelong stopped Collingwood from winning three championships in a row in 1937. They won that Grand Final by 32 points.

The two teams played against each other in six finals between 1951 and 1955. This included the 1952 Grand Final, where Geelong easily beat Collingwood. In 1953, Collingwood ended Geelong's record 23-game winning streak. They also beat Geelong in the Grand Final that year. This stopped Geelong from winning their third championship in a row.

Since 2007, both clubs have been top teams. They have often met in finals. Geelong won a very close preliminary final by five points in 2007. This helped them win their first championship in 44 years. In 2008, Collingwood gave Geelong their only loss of the regular season. They beat Geelong by a large 86 points. In 2009 and 2010, they met in preliminary finals. Each team won one of these games on their way to a championship. They met again in the 2011 Grand Final. Geelong won by 38 points. Geelong caused all three of Collingwood's losses in the 2011 season.

Club Business

Sponsorships

Geelong has a very long sponsorship with the Ford Motor Company. This partnership started in 1925. It is one of the longest active sports sponsorships in the world.

More recently, the Geelong-based company Cotton On Group has also become a big sponsor. They have made the team's uniforms and other gear since 2016.

Supporters

Geelong's supporters came out in force in the 2009 Grand Final against St Kilda

Well-known supporter Troy West, nicknamed "Catman"

Geelong players prepare to break a banner, which is created by its supporters, before a match against Greater Western Sydney in June 2013.

Geelong has a large and loyal fan base. Many supporters attend games at their home stadium and other venues. Fans often create large banners for the players to run through before matches.

Players and Staff

Chris Scott is the club's current head coach.

Patrick Dangerfield is the club's current captain.

Current Teams and Coaches

Club Leaders

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

Club Records

Championships and Awards

Win-Loss Records

The Brownlow Medal is named after Geelong player and administrator Charles "Chas" Brownlow.

Edward "Carji" Greeves won the first Brownlow Medal in 1924. Geelong's best player award is named after him.

Geelong has a strong history of winning games. As of the end of the 2024 season, they have won more than half of their total matches. They have played 2573 games, winning 1413, losing 1136, and drawing 24. This gives them a winning percentage of 55.4%.

Match Records

Team of the Century

Reserves Team

The Geelong reserves team is also known as the Bendigo Bank Cats. This team plays in the Victorian Football League.

Reserves History

Geelong's reserves team started playing in 1922. It was first called the Victorian Junior Football League. The team won thirteen championships during this time.

After the AFL reserves competition ended, the Geelong reserves joined the Victorian Football League. Unlike other Victorian AFL clubs, Geelong has always had its own reserves team. They have never joined with another VFL club. The team includes players from the main AFL list and a separate list of VFL-only players. Home games are played at GMHBA Stadium. Some games are played before the main AFL matches.

Reserves Team Honours

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

Women's Teams

In 2017, Geelong applied to join the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition. In September 2017, they were given a license to join in 2019. The club has also had a team in the VFL Women's league since 2017.

The AFL Women's team has reached the finals three times. In 2023, they made it to the preliminary final. They lost to the team that went on to win the championship, Brisbane.

AFL Women's Team

Women's Match Records

Club Activism

Same-Sex Marriage

During the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey, the Geelong Football Club supported the "Yes" vote. This meant they supported allowing same-sex marriage.

Voice to Parliament

The Geelong Football Club also supported the Voice to Parliament. This was a proposal to change the Australian Constitution. It aimed to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples a direct voice to the Parliament.

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