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Geelong Football Club
Names
Full name	Geelong Football Club
Nickname(s)	Cats
Former nickname(s)	Pivotonians, Seagulls
; 2018 season
After finals	8th
Home-and-away season	8th
Leading goalkicker	; Tom Hawkins (60 goals)
Carji Greeves Medal	Mark Blicavs
Club details
Founded	1859; 160 years ago (1859);
Colours	White, navy blue ;
Competition	Australian Football League
Chairman	Colin Carter
Coach	; Chris Scott
Captain(s)	Joel Selwood
Premierships	; ; VFA (7); 1878, 1879, 1880, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886; ; ; ; VFL/AFL (9); 1925, 1931, 1937, 1951, 1952, 1963, 2007, 2009, 2011; ; ; ; Reserves/VFL (16); 1923, 1924, 1930, 1937, 1938, 1948, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1975, 1980, 1981, 1982, 2002, 2007, 2012; ;
Ground(s)	; GMHBA Stadium (Used for most home games) (capacity: 36,000)
	; Melbourne Cricket Ground (capacity: 100,064)
Former ground(s)	; Corio Oval (1878-1940)
Training ground(s)	; Deakin University's Elite Sport Precinct GMHBA Stadium;
Other information
Official website	www.geelongcats.com.au
	; Guernsey:
	; Current season;

The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed the Cats, are a professional Australian rules football club based in the city of Geelong, Australia. The club competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest level of Australian rules football in Australia. The Cats have been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with three in the AFL era (since 1990). The Cats have also won nine McClelland Trophies, a record shared with Essendon.^[3]^[4]

The club was formed in 1859, making it the second oldest club in the AFL after Melbourne and one of the oldest football clubs in the world.^[3] Geelong participated in the first football competition in Australia and was a foundation club of both the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877 and the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1897.^[5]

The club first established itself in the VFA by winning seven premierships, making it the most successful VFA club leading up to the formation of the VFL in 1897. The club won a further six premierships by 1963, before enduring a 44-year waiting period until it won its next premiership—an AFL-record 119-point victory in the 2007 AFL Grand Final.^[6]^[7]^[8] Geelong have since won a further two premierships in 2009 and 2011.

The Cats play their home games at Kardinia Park (known for sponsorship reasons as GMHBA Stadium), while sporadicly playing home games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Docklands Stadium. Geelong's traditional guernsey colours are navy blue and white hoops. The club's nickname, "The Cats", was first used in 1923 after a run of losses prompted a local cartoonist to suggest that the club needed a black cat to bring it good luck. The club's official team song and anthem is "We Are Geelong".

History

Club identity and culture

Guernseys

Club attire in 1895 (Jim McShane pictured)

Geelong's traditional navy blue and white hooped guernsey has been worn since the club's inception in the mid-1800s. The design is said to represent the white seagulls and blue water of Corio Bay.^[9]

The team have worn various away guernseys since 1998, all featuring the club's logo and traditional colours.^[10]

Song: "We Are Geelong"

"We Are Geelong" is the song sung after a game won by the Geelong Football Club. It is sung to the tune of "Toreador" from Carmen. The lyrics were written by former premiership player John Watts. Only the first verse is used at matches and by the team after a victory. The song currently used by the club was recorded by the Fable Singers in April 1972.^[11]

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 administrative headquarters is its home stadium, Kardinia Park. The club also trains at the venue during the season, however it also trains at its alternate training venue, Deakin University's Elite Sport Precinct. The latter features an MCG-sized oval and is used often by the club in the pre-season, when Kardinia Park is being used for other events.^[12]

Rivalries

Hawthorn

The rivalry between Hawthorn and Geelong is defined by two Grand Finals: those of 1989 and 2008. In the 1989 Grand Final, Geelong played the man, resulting in major injuries for several Hawks players, Mark Yeates knocking out Dermott Brereton at the opening bounce; Hawthorn controlled the game, leading by approximately 40 points for most of the match; in the last quarter, Geelong almost managed to come from behind to win, but fell short by six points. In 2008 Grand Final, Geelong was the heavily backed favourite and had lost only one match for the season, but Hawthorn upset Geelong by 26 points; Geelong won its next eleven matches against Hawthorn over the following five years, under a curse, which was dubbed the "Kennett curse" which was attributed to disrespectful comments made by Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett following the 2008 Grand Final. It was later revealed that after the 2008 grand final, Paul Chapman initiated a pact between other Geelong players to never lose to Hawthorn again. The curse was broken in a preliminary final in 2013, after Paul Chapman played his final match for Geelong the previous week. Hawthorn went on to win the next three premierships. In 2016 Geelong again defeated Hawthorn in the qualifying final. In 20 matches between the two sides between 2008 and 2017, 12 were decided by less than 10 points, with Geelong victorious in 11 of those 12 close games.^[13]

Collingwood

Geelong won their first flag in 1925 over Collingwood, in 1930 Collingwood defeated Geelong in the grand final making it four flags in-a-row for the Pies. Geelong would later deny Collingwood three successive premierships in 1937, winning a famous grand final by 32 points.

The two sides played against each other in 6 finals between 1951 and 1955, including the 1952 Grand Final when Geelong easily beat Collingwood by 46 points. In 1953, Collingwood ended Geelong's record 23-game winning streak in the home and away season, and later defeated them by 12 points in the grand final, denying the Cats a third successive premiership.

Since 2007, the clubs have again both been at the top of the ladder and have met regularly in finals. Geelong won a memorable preliminary final by five points on their way to their first flag in 44 years. In 2008, Collingwood inflicted Geelong's only home-and-away loss, by a massive 86 points, but the teams did not meet in the finals. They would meet in preliminary finals in 2009 and 2010, each winning one en route to a premiership. They finally met in a Grand Final in 2011, which Geelong won by 38 points; Geelong inflicted Collingwood's only three losses for the 2011 season.^[14]

Corporate

Sponsorship

Supporter base

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.

Table of club membership, with home attendance figures (since 1984)
Season	Members	Average home attendance^[15]	Ref
1984	7,709	20,577
1985	7,718	19,463
1986	6,985	15,319
1987	6,981	20,462
1988	9,667	20,790
1989	7,760	29,296
1990	15,087	24,711
1991	11,356	23,525
1992	13,535	27,698
1993	15,500	26,920
1994	14,312	26,461
1995	15,922	25,317
1996	17,346	25,161
1997	18,858	28,324
1998	19,971	28,371
1999	21,032	24,840
2000	25,595	27,729
2001	25,420	27,093
2002	23,756	27,040
2003	24,017	25,971
2004	25,021	25,747
2005	30,821	27,783
2006	32,290	27,428
2007	30,169	31,547	^[16]
2008	36,850	29,474	^[17]
2009	37,160	30,069	^[18]
2010	40,326	39,129	^[19]
2011	39,343	35,401	^[20]
2012	40,200	31,508
2013	42,884	36,650
2014	43,803	33,915	^[21]
2015	44,312	29,582	^[22]
2016	50,571	30,497	^[23]
2017	54,854	35,111	^[24]
2018	63,818	TBA	^[25]

Players and staff

Chris Scott is the club's current head coach.

Current playing list and coaches

Geelong Football Club

Senior list

Rookie list

Coaching staff

1 Rhys Stanley

2 Zach Tuohy

3 Brandan Parfitt

4 Gary Ablett

5 Nakia Cockatoo

6 Jordan Clark

7 Harry Taylor (vc)

8 Jake Kolodjashnij

9 Zac Smith

10 Ben Jarvis

11 Tim Kelly

12 Wylie Buzza

13 Lachie Fogarty

14 Joel Selwood (c)

15 Nathan Kreuger

16 Scott Selwood

17 Esava Ratugolea

18 Charlie Constable

19 Quinton Narkle

20 Oscar Brownless

21 Jacob Kennerley

22 Mitch Duncan

23 Gary Rohan

24 Jed Bews

25 Lachie Henderson

26 Tom Hawkins

27 Sam Menegola

28 Darcy Fort

29 Cameron Guthrie

31 Jordan Cunico

32 Gryan Miers

33 Jake Tarca

34 James Parsons

35 Patrick Dangerfield (vc)

38 Jack Henry

40 Luke Dahlhaus

42 Mark O'Connor

44 Tom Stewart

45 Ryan Abbott

46 Mark Blicavs

30 Tom Atkins

36 Blake Schlensog (B)

37 Sam Simpson

39 Zach Guthrie

41 Jamaine Jones

43 Stefan Okunbor (B)

Head coach

Chris Scott

Assistant coaches

Simon Lloyd (director of coaching)

Matthew Scarlett (defence)

Matthew Knights (midfield)

James Rahilly (forwards)

Nigel Lappin (development)

Corey Enright (development)

Shane O'Bree (VFL coach)

Brad Ottens (ruck coach)

Legend:

(c) Captain(s)

(vc) Vice captain(s)

(B) Category B rookie

Updated: 14 January 2019
Source(s): Playing list, Coaching staff

Officials

President: Colin Carter

Vice President: Bob Gartland

Chief Executive Officer: Brian Cook

General Manager – Football: Steven Hocking

Club records

Premierships and awards

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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

Premierships

VFL/AFL: 9 (1925, 1931, 1937, 1951, 1952, 1963, 2007, 2009, 2011)

Victorian Football Association: 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)

Under 19s: 1 (1962)

Night/Pre-season premierships

VFL Night Series: 1 (1961)

Pre-Season: 2 (2006, 2009)

McClelland Trophy: 9 (1952, 1954, 1962, 1963, 1980, 1981, 1992, 2007, 2008)

Challenge Cup: 1 (1863)

Wooden Spoons: 5 (1908, 1915, 1944, 1957, 1958)

Win-loss record

Statistics are correct to round 14, 2018 season^[26]

Geelong's win-loss record against other VFL/AFL clubs
Club	T	W	L	D	Win%
Club	Adelaide	42	23	19	0	54.8
Brisbane Bears^†	15	10	4	1	70.0
Brisbane Lions	32	18	14	0	56.3
Carlton	219	100	117	2	46.1
Collingwood	232	99	132	1	42.9
Essendon	217	97	115	5	45.9
Fitzroy^†	183	103	79	1	56.6
Fremantle	37	25	12	0	67.6
Gold Coast	9	7	2	0	77.8
Greater Western Sydney	9	7	1	1	83.3
Hawthorn	163	89	73	1	54.9
Melbourne	215	129	84	2	60.5
North Melbourne	162	98	63	1	60.8
Port Adelaide	32	22	9	1	70.3
Richmond	193	103	87	3	54.2
St Kilda	214	129	84	1	60.5
Sydney	222	121	101	0	54.5
University^†	14	8	6	0	57.1
West Coast	51	24	26	1	48.0
Western Bulldogs	159	101	56	2	64.2
Totals	2420	1313	1084	23	54.7

Key
W	Wins	L	Losses	D	Draws	T	Total
Win%	Winning percentage			†	Defunct club

Match records

Table of club VFL/AFL match records
Club record	Round	Venue	Opponent	Details	Ref
Highest score	Round 7, 1992	Carrara	Brisbane Bears	Geelong 37.17 (239) v Brisbane Bears 11.9 (75)	^[27]
Lowest score	Round 3, 1899	Corio Oval	Fitzroy	Geelong 0.8 (8) v Fitzroy 4.8 (32)	^[28]
Highest losing score	Round 6, 1989	Princes Park	Hawthorn	Geelong 25.13 (163) v Hawthorn 26.15 (171)	^[29]
Lowest winning score	Round 9, 1897	Corio Oval	Melbourne	Geelong 1.9 (15) v Melbourne 0.10 (10)	^[30]
Biggest winning margin	Round 19, 2011	Kardinia Park	Melbourne	186 points Geelong 37.11 (233) v Melbourne 7.5 (47)	^[31]
Biggest losing margin	Round 21, 1986	Princes Park	Hawthorn	135 points – Geelong 13.12 (90) v Hawthorn 35.15 (225)	^[32]
Record attendance (home and away game)	Round 9, 2010	Melbourne Cricket Ground	Collingwood	91,115
Record attendance (finals match)	1967 VFL Grand Final	Melbourne Cricket Ground	Richmond	109,396

Reserves team

The Geelong reserves team began competing in the VFL Reserves competition with the league's other reserves teams from 1919. From 1919 to 1991 the VFL/AFL operated a reserves competition, and from 1992 to 1999 a de facto AFL reserves competition was run by the Victorian State Football League. The Geelong Football Club fielded a reserves team in both of these competitions, allowing players who were not selected for the senior team to play for Geelong in the lower grade. During that time, the Geelong reserves team won thirteen premierships (1923, 1924, 1930, 1937, 1938, 1948, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1975, 1980, 1981, 1982), the most of any club.

Since the demise of the AFL reserves competition, the Geelong reserves team has competed in the new Victorian Football League, having won three premierships in that time. Unlike all other Victorian AFL clubs, Geelong has never operated in a reserves affiliation with an existing VFL club, having instead operated its stand-alone reserves team continuously. The team is composed of both reserves players from the club's primary and rookie AFL lists, and a separately maintained list of players eligible only for VFL matches. Home games are played at Simonds Stadium, with some played as curtain-raisers to senior AFL matches.

Premierships (3): 2002, 2007, 2012

Runners-ups (2): 2006, 2013

Minor premierships (2): 2002, 2013

Wooden spoons (1): 2005

AFL Women's team

In 2017, following the inaugural AFL Women's (AFLW) season, Geelong was among eight clubs that applied for licenses to enter the competition from 2019 onwards.^[33] In September 2017, the club was announced as one of two clubs, along with North Melbourne, to receive a license to join the competition in 2019.^[34]

Geelong Football Club (AFL Women's)