Geelong Football Club is a professional football club in Australia. They are also known as “The Cats”. The club is an AFL-based football club located in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It is one of the oldest football clubs in the country, with a very rich history.
In this article, we’re going to learn everything about Geelong Football Club.
History
Geelong Football Club began its journey in the year 1859 in the city of Geelong, Australia, and has been there ever since. Since 1923, the club has been known as “The Cats” by its fans.
This prestigious club is the second oldest AFL club. In addition, it is believed to be the fourth oldest football club in Australia. Due to the fact that the club was formed in 1859, it must be the oldest club in sports history as well.
During the 1860s, when Geelong was just beginning its journey as a club, it took part in a series of Challenge events. It was a founding member of the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877 and the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1897. They are also part of the AFL now.
A major victory was achieved by the club in 1875 by winning the Western District Challenge Cup. During that time, the club won seven VFA championships. As well as winning six VFL titles by 1963.
After that, the team spent 44 years without a premiership. In 2007, they won the Grand Final by 119 points. Geelong was able to win a further three premierships in 2009, 2011, and 2022.
As the most successful club over that period, the Cats have won ten VFL/AFL titles, including four in the AFL era since 1990. In addition, they have won ten McClelland Trophies, the most of any team in AFL/VFL.
A famous rivalry existed between the club and Collingwood and Hawthorn in the past.
Geelong won their first flag in 1925 when they defeated Collingwood in the final. A short while later, Collingwood defeated Geelong in the grand final of the 1930 AFL season, giving the Pies four flags in a row. Later on in 1937, Geelong would go on to fend off Collingwood’s bid for three successive premierships by defeating their rivals by a margin of 32 points in a famous grand final.
The rivalry between Geelong and Hawthorn has been defined by two Grand Finals, which occurred in 1989 and 2008, both of which ended in defeat for Geelong. Geelong lost to West Coast by 6 points in 1989, and in 2008, Geelong lost to West Coast by 26 points.
Uniforms
Traditionally, Geelong players wear a navy blue and white hooped Guernsey with matching navy blue pants. It has been worn since the club was founded in the mid-1800s. It is said that the design represents white seagulls and blue water in Corio Bay.
Various away Guernseys featuring the club logo and traditional colors have been worn by the team since 1998. A recent version has the same navy blue and white hoop Guernsey with white pants.
Home Grounds
There are two main grounds where Geelong plays, GMHBA Stadium and Kardinia Park. Kardinia Park is where they play most of their home games. At Melbourne Cricket Ground, they will play the remainder of their matches.
Approximately 36,000 people can be accommodated at Kardinia Park. The stadium is the largest regional stadium in Australia.
GMHBA Stadium serves as Geelong’s administrative headquarters. This is where the club trains during the season as well. In addition, it also trains at the Elite Sports Precinct at Deakin University.
Pre-season games are often played at this oval when Kardinia Park is being used for other events.
Current AFL Squad
Senior List
- Rhys Stanley
- Zach Tuohy
- Brandan Parfitt
- Tanner Bruhn
- Jeremy Cameron
- Toby Conway
- Isaac Smith
- Jake Kolodjashnij
- Max Holmes
- Mitch Knevitt
- Cooper Whyte
- Jack Bowes
- Jhye Clark
- Jonathon Ceglar
- Sam De Koning
- Esava Ratugolea
- Tyson Stengle
- Phoenix Foster
- James Willis
- Mitch Duncan
- Gary Rohan
- Jed Bews
- Flynn Kroeger
- Tom Hawkins
- Sam Menegola
- Cameron Guthrie
- Tom Atkins
- Gryan Miers
- Shannon Neale
- Patrick Dangerfield (c)
- Oliver Henry
- Sam Simpson
- Jack Henry
- Zach Guthrie
- Mark O’Connor
- Tom Stewart (vc)
- Brad Close
- Mark Blicavs
Rookie List
- Osca Riccardi
- Ollie Dempsey
- Oscar Murdoch
- Oisín Mullin (B)
- Ted Clohesy (B)
Coaching Staff
Head coach
- Chris Scott
Assistant coaches
- Simon Lloyd (director of coaching)
- James Kelly (assistant)
- Shaun Grigg (assistant)
- Matthew Egan (head of development)
- Nigel Lappin (development)
- Josh Jenkins (development)
- Shane O’Bree
- Brad Ottens (ruck)
- Mark Corrigan (VFL coach)
Administrative Board
- President: Craig Drummond
- Vice President: Diana Taylor
- Chief Executive Officer: Steve Hocking
- General Manager – Football: Simon Lloyd
Sponsors
Kit Sponsors
- Adidas
- Fila
- Slazenge
- ISC
- Cotton On
Major Sponsors
- Ford
- nib
- GMHBA
Back Sponsor
- Ford
Conclusion
Geelong has an impressive history and is a very consistent team. Since the beginning, they have been part of Australian football. There are a lot of interesting facts about the club that fans would love to know. This article about Geelong Football Club is surely going to be a good read for fans of the club.
Related: Adelaide Football Club: History, Uniforms, AFL Squad
