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; 165 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	Craig Drummond
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 Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The club plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), which is the top competition for the sport.

The Geelong Football Club started in 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 special Challenge Cup games. They were also a founding member of the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877. Later, they helped start the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1897. The VFL is now known as the national AFL.

The club won the Western District Challenge Cup in 1875. They also won a record seven VFA premierships (championships) between 1878 and 1886. By 1963, they had won six VFL premierships. After a long wait of 44 years, they won their next premiership in 2007. This win was by a huge 119 points, a Grand Final record. Geelong then won 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. This stadium is also called GMHBA Stadium for sponsorship reasons. They play other games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Geelong's traditional team uniform, called a guernsey, is white with navy blue hoops. The club's nickname, 'Cats', started in 1923. A local cartoonist suggested that a black cat might bring the team good luck after they had lost several games.

Geelong also has teams in other leagues. They have a reserves men's team in the Victorian Football League (VFL). They also have a senior women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW) and a reserves women's team in the VFL Women's (VFLW) competitions. The club's official team song is "We Are Geelong".

History of the Geelong Cats

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

The Geelong Football Club was founded in 1859 in the city of Geelong, Australia. It is the second-oldest AFL club and is thought to be one of the oldest football clubs in the world. The club is also one of the most successful.

At first, Geelong played under its own rules. Some of these rules were later added to the official Laws of Australian Football. In the early 1860s, they started playing under the main rules after working with the Melbourne Football Club.

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 continue to play in the elite Australian Football League (AFL).

The Cats have won the VFL/AFL premiership (championship) ten times. Four of these wins happened in the AFL era (since 1990): 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2022. This makes them the second most successful club in that time, just behind Hawthorn. They have also won ten McClelland Trophies, which is more than any other AFL/VFL club.

It is important to know that many of the club's official records from before 1920 are missing.

Club Identity and Culture

Team Uniforms: Guernseys

This picture shows the club's uniform in 1895, worn by Jim McShane.

Geelong's traditional navy blue and white hooped guernsey (team uniform) has been worn since the club started in the mid-1800s. The design is said to represent the white seagulls and blue water of Corio Bay.

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

Why "The Cats"?

Geelong has been called the 'Cats' since 1923. A local cartoonist named "Wells" suggested the nickname. In his Herald cartoon from July 6, 1923, he thought that having a black cat as a mascot might bring the football club good luck.

Team Song: "We Are Geelong"

"We Are Geelong" is the song that the Geelong Football Club sings after winning a game. It uses the tune of "Toreador" from the opera Carmen. A former premiership player, John Watts, wrote the words.

Only the first part of the song is used at matches and by the team after a victory. The version of the song the club uses today was recorded by the Fable Singers in April 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.

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!

Stadium and Training Facilities

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 location called the Deakin University Elite Sports Precinct. This facility has a large oval, similar in size to the MCG. The club often uses it before the season starts, especially when Kardinia Park is being used for other events.

Rivalries

Geelong vs. Hawthorn

The rivalry between Hawthorn and Geelong is famous for two Grand Finals: 1989 and 2008. In the 1989 Grand Final, Geelong played very aggressively. This led to injuries for several Hawthorn players. Hawthorn mostly controlled the game, leading by about 40 points. But in the last quarter, Geelong almost caught up but lost by six points.

In the 2008 Grand Final, Geelong was expected to win easily. They had only lost one match all season. However, they lost to Hawthorn by 26 points. After this loss, Geelong won their next eleven games against Hawthorn over five years. This winning streak was called the "Kennett curse". It was linked to comments made by Hawthorn's president, Jeff Kennett, after the 2008 Grand Final. It was later shared that after the 2008 Grand Final, Geelong player Paul Chapman and others made a promise to never lose to Hawthorn again.

The "curse" ended in a preliminary final in 2013. Hawthorn then won the next three premierships. In 2016, Geelong beat Hawthorn again in a qualifying final. Between 2008 and 2017, twelve of their twenty matches were decided by less than ten points. Geelong won eleven of those close games.

Geelong vs. Collingwood

In 1925, Geelong won their first championship against Collingwood. In 1930, Collingwood beat Geelong in the Grand Final, giving them four championships in a row. However, Geelong stopped Collingwood from winning three championships in a row in 1937. Geelong won that famous 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 by 46 points. In 1953, Collingwood ended Geelong's record of 23 straight wins during the regular season. They later beat Geelong by 12 points in the Grand Final, stopping the Cats from winning their third championship in a row.

Since 2007, both clubs have been at the top of the ladder and often played each other in finals. Geelong won a memorable preliminary final by five points in 2007, on their way to their first championship in 44 years. In 2008, Collingwood gave Geelong their only regular season loss, by a large 86 points. However, they did not meet in the finals that year.

They met in preliminary finals in 2009 and 2010, with each team winning one on their way to a championship. They finally met again in a Grand Final in 2011, which Geelong won by 38 points. Geelong caused all three of Collingwood's losses in the 2011 season.

Club Business and Support

Sponsorship

Geelong's partnership with the Ford Motor Company has lasted 99 years as of 2024. This is one of the longest active sports sponsorships for any sports team in the world. Ford has continuously sponsored the club since 1925. This sponsorship was once recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest in the world.

Recently, the Geelong-based retail company Cotton On Group has become closely linked with the club. Cotton On has been making the team's uniforms and other merchandise since 2016.

AFL Sponsors

AFL Women's Sponsors

Supporter Base

Geelong's supporters showed up in large numbers for the 2009 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 loyal group of supporters. They show their support by becoming club members and attending games. The number of members and average home game attendance has grown a lot over the years.

Players and Staff

Chris Scott is the club's current head coach.

Current Playing List and Coaches

Club Officials

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

Club Records

Championships and Awards

Win–Loss Record Against Other Clubs

The Brownlow Medal is football's most important award. It is given to the "best and fairest" player during the AFL season. It is named after Geelong player and administrator Charles "Chas" Brownlow.

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

These statistics are correct up to the end of the 2023 season.

Match Records

Team of the Century

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.

History of the Reserves Team

Geelong's reserves team started playing in the Victorian Junior Football League in 1922. This league later became known as the VFL/AFL reserves. During that time, the team won thirteen championships. These wins were in 1923, 1924, 1930, 1937, 1938, 1948, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1975, 1980, 1981, and 1982. This is the most championships won by any club in that league.

After the AFL reserves competition ended, the Geelong reserves team started playing in the Victorian Football League. Unlike most other Victorian AFL clubs, Geelong has always had its own stand-alone reserves team. They have never joined with another VFL club. The team includes both reserves players from the main AFL team and new players who only play VFL matches. 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, after the first AFL Women's (AFLW) season, Geelong was one of eight clubs that wanted to join the competition from 2019. In September 2017, Geelong was announced as one of two clubs to get a license to join the AFLW in 2019. The club has also had a team in the second-tier VFL Women's league since 2017.

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

AFL Women's Team

Women's Match Records

Images for kids

• 

  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 inaugural Brownlow Medal in 1924, and namesake of the Carji Greeves Medal, awarded to Geelong's best and fairest player of the season

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