[18][19][20] Geelong have been known as the 'Cats' ever since. The club met fifth placed Footscray in the first week of the finals. [92] However, their form dropped off after the round 13 bye and they would not win consecutive matches for the remainder of the year. On September 1, 1860, Geelong played Melbourne at the Argyle Ground, with founding member Alex Mason captaining the visitors. [87] In the subsequent offseason, Gary Ablett Jr. was traded back to Geelong after seven seasons with Gold Coast. Geelong was nicknamed the 'Cats' 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.[16]. Long-time Geelong president and philanthropist Frank Costa, the only person to have been named a legend of the AFL club without ever playing for the Cats, has died after a year-long battle. XI. Bob's fascination with and commitment to Australian football spans over six decades. For most of the season on-field performances were lacklustre as the players struggled to adapt. The club formed in 1859, making it the second-oldest club in the AFL, after Melbourne, and one of the oldest football clubs in the world.[5]. Home games are played at GMHBA Stadium, with some played as curtain-raisers to senior AFL matches. Players of note in this golden era include Bob Davis, Leo Turner (father of future star, Michael Turner), Peter Pianto, Fred Flanagan, and Bernie Smith. Jul 4, 2021, 6:31pm The Geelong Football Club is pleased to announce that Steve Hocking has been appointed as the club's new Chief Executive. North Melbourne, who were playing on its actual home ground, beat Geelong by 18 points in a hard fought encounter. Following this unexpected loss at their home ground, player Paul Chapman publicly criticised the club's culture, expressing frustration at the lack of team mentality present with many of the players, and urging the club as a whole to change this underachieving culture for the better. [17], At 98 years as of 2023, Geelong's sponsorship with the Ford Motor Company is the longest active sports sponsorship of any sports team in the world, with continuous sponsorship dating back to 1925, a record recognised by Guinness. During this time, Bob founded the Geelong Football Club's History Society, serving as its inaugural Chair. 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. [43] The club has also had a team in the second-tier VFL Women's league since 2017. [17] Credit was given to the cat when Geelong recorded an upset win. The name of the company is the GEELONG FOOTBALL CLUB LIMITED ('the Club'). Pushing with the hands or body is allowed when any Player is in rapid motion, or in possession of the Ball, except in the case provided for in rule VI Geelong finished the regular season in first position on the ladder, earning the club a second-consecutive McClelland Trophy, its ninth overall. The ball, while in Play, may under no circumstances be thrown [29] Following the dissolution of the AFL reserves competition in 1999, Geelong began fielding a reserves team in the Victorian Football League (VFL)[a] from 2000. Season 1991 started ominously. The club finished third at the end of the home and away season. In 1952, Geelong easily defeated Lou Richards' Collingwood team. Our stands could tell a thousand stories of competition, of friendship and loyalty, key milestones, frustration and celebration and of sponsors, partners, members and supporters proudly passing on the legacy of their "special place" from grandparents to grandchildren. The team then won its first two matches of the finals series to qualify for the 2011 AFL Grand Final against reigning premier Collingwood, where Geelong proceeded to win the match by 38 points to claim its third premiership in the space of five seasons, and the club's ninth VFL/AFL premiership overall. [27] Geelong finished the regular season on top of the ladder, eclipsing their previous record for total points scored in a home-and-away season (2916 in 1989) and increased it to 3057 points.[28]. The club was highly consistent, its biggest losing margin being less than 20 points, and never losing two matches in a row the only club to do so for the year. The Associations first constitution was presented to a general meeting held at the Geelong Football Club rooms on 12 September 1933, and for simplicity was kept to eleven rules. [50] Although he cited burnout from coaching as the primary reason for his departure, Thompson joined Essendon one month later as a senior assistant coach to James Hird. However, the club then lost its next 9 to finish the season with 10 wins and tenth position. It was the first AFL finals match played at the new Docklands Stadium. V/AFL record. Despite Lord winning the Brownlow Medal and full forward Doug Wade winning the Coleman Medal, Farmer missed multiple games through injury and the club were eliminated in the Preliminary Final. "Serving the Geelong Football Club over the past 10 years as a director has been a huge honour, and I look forward to continuing with this work while moving into the role of vice president. He therefore was unable to play in the grand final. A notable recruit would be Steven King, standing at over two metres tall. The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed the Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. In 1953, Collingwood defeated Geelong in the Grand Final. [9] These reprinted rules, which appeared to differ only slightly from Melbourne Football Club's rules, notably do not mention a requirement to bounce the ball which was to feature early in Geelong's rules, however the scrimmage rule showed more influence of rugby football than Melbourne's rules. [2], VFL and continues in the elite Australian Football League (AFL). Tenure Geelong Football Club Limited Director for nine years, and President for seven years Experience Colin joined the Board of Directors in July 2008 after previously serving from 1987 until 1993. The Constitution was finalised at a general meeting on 3 October 19333, and with that the Geelong Football Club Past Players Association was officially launched. Geelong got off to a wonderful start, and at one stage during the second quarter were leading by four goals. New Geelong president Craig Drummond will oversee a club plan to have 100,000 Cats members by 2025 as the perennial contenders continue to strive for premierships. 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. Introducing the current committee of the Geelong Past Players & Officials Club for 2019: President Ray Card Vice President Mark Yeates Secretary Marty Christensen Treasurer Nick Walsh General Committee Brian Chirgwin Wayne Hovey Neville Bruns History In ease of deliberate infringement of any of the above Rules by either side the Captain of the opposite side may claim that any one of his party Key points: Cook replaces Cain Liddle, who left the position of chief executive last week The appointment will fuel speculation Alastair Clarkson may join the Blues as senior coach in the future However, North Melbourne came back strongly in the last quarter and took the lead late in the match. [12], Geelong played most of its early home games at the Argyle Square, situated between Aberdeen Street and Pakington Street. The win was Geelong's first premiership since 1963, and broke the club's 44-season premiership drought. [59] Premiership captain Cameron Ling announced his retirement from the AFL at the conclusion of the season,[61] and Joel Selwood was appointed to the position in January 2012. [73] Dangerfield's recruitment, in particular, had been the subject of much media speculation throughout the season, as it was confirmed that he wished to return to his home state of Victoria. Having been one of the dominant clubs in the old VFA, Geelong struggled to maintain the same level of success during its early years in the VFL. [71], After finishing tenth on the ladder in 2015, Geelong failed to qualify for the finals series; it was the first time the club had not played in the finals since the 2006 season. A run of losses prompted a local cartoonist to suggest that the club needed a black cat to bring it good luck. [95] They reached the preliminary final stage for the fourth time in seven years but would again fall at the penultimate hurdle, losing to eventual premiers Richmond by 19 points. At the end of this season, Geelong traded Leigh Colbert for North Melbourne premiership player, Cameron Mooney. [75][76], The club's recruitment strategy was in response to the departure of many of its premiership players in the preceding seasons,[77] such as Brad Ottens (in 2011),[78] Matthew Scarlett and David Wojcinski (2012),[79] and Joel Corey (2013). Having won the premiership, players were more eagerly looking forward to their trip to Adelaide. Despite this, club full-forward Larry Donohue became the club's third Coleman Medalist after kicking over 100 goals in 1976. [13], Following the formation of the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877, Geelong joined the association as one of its foundation clubs. The idea of the GFCPPA originated after a match between past and present players of the Geelong Football Club on 12 August 1933 1. Graeme Atkinson, 1981, "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Australian Rules Football but Couldn't be Bothered Asking", Five Mile Press, History of Australian rules football in Victoria (18531900) The game of the century, dissolution of the AFL reserves competition, Official Website of the Geelong Football Club, "UNEARTHING HISTORY: THE LOST BROWNLOW FILES", https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/sep/23/1989-vfl-grand-final-hawthorn-geelong, Goals scored by Geelong players in 1992 season, Season Scoring Records: Most Points For in a Season, "Geelong and Hawthorn top list of 12 best club drafts in AFL history", "VFL very much alive and kicking big goals", "Matthews still 'feels sick' over 2004 preliminary final", "Cats secure Ottens as frenzied trading ends", "The five best recruiting decisions of the last decade", "Parramatta's Jarryd Hayne to join a long line of Australian sportsmen trying to make the NFL", "Jeff White recalls horrific injuries after being kicked in face by Steven King in 2005", https://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/729891/cats-use-old-tricks, "Dreaded statistical turnaround in the AFL as the kick gets the boot", "Too old, too slow, two flags and counting", "Fremantle star Matthew Pavlich leads the Dockers to victory over Geelong", "The end of Geelong's era finally arrives", "Killing the curse: Hawks snap Cats' hold to make Grand Final", "North Melbourne eliminates Geelong to reach AFL preliminary final against Sydney Swans", "Tough ask for Dockers with Geelong's Simonds Stadium to host its first final", "Fremantle shocks Geelong with 15 point win at Kardinia Park to seal place in preliminary final", "Adelaide Crows' AFL match against Geelong cancelled after Phil Walsh's death, round 14 to go ahead", "Phil Walsh murdered: AFL confirms cancellation of Adelaide v Geelong, rest of Round 14 to go ahead", "2016 preview: Cats recruiting for another flag", "Adelaide Crows confirm Patrick Dangerfield wants to return to Victoria", "AFL trade week: Patrick Dangerfield deal done as Geelong sends Adelaide Dean Gore and draft picks", "Departing Dangerfield exits with best and fairest win", "Geelong hopes to remain contender through elite recruiting, culture, coaching and development", "Joel Corey retires after 276 game career", "Paul Chapman joins Essendon on a one-year deal after trade confirmed with Geelong", "Essendon Bombers sign former Geelong Cat Mathew Stokes for 2016 AFL season", "Geelong triple premiership player Steve Johnson joins GWS Giants on one-year deal", "Geelong Cats vs Sydney Swans: AFL preliminary final as it happened", "Geelong beats Western Bulldogs by 25 points at Kardinia Park", "Dangerfield breaks record to seal Brownlow", "Match report: Crows crush Cats to advance to GF", "Gary Ablett's trade to Geelong sends the AFL great back to family and his football home", "AFL finals: Geelong needs to avoid being a fading September force against Melbourne", "AFL finals: Melbourne Demons beat Geelong Cats to move through to semi-finals", "Cursed Cats? 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. However, the Cats hopes of avenging their grand final defeat were dashed in uncompromising fashion, suffering an 83-point belting at the hands of Melbourne in the preliminary final. The Geelong Past Players & Officials Club are always keen to track down former team-mates. [1] The Geelong Football Club is mourning the passing of past president Frank Costa. The Norm Smith Medal was awarded to Paul Chapman, after gathering 26 possessions and scoring three goals, including the goal which effectively won the match for Geelong. Geelong play most of their home games at Kardinia Park (known for sponsorship reasons as GMHBA Stadium) and play the remainder at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. [7][8][9] Geelong won a further three premierships in 2009, 2011 and 2022. In the 1860s, Geelong participated in a series of Challenge Cup competitions, and was a foundation member of both the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877 and the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1897, now the national AFL. IX. The old free-standing Rooms made way for the larger new stand, which includes a permanent home for the Past Players and a dedicated memorabilia display area. In April 1859 local teetotaler Mr. William "Stitt" Jenkins (of Liverpool, England and Melbourne) who had been working in Geelong from 1853 educating local youths made repeated to form an athletic club to play football on Saturday afternoons[5] and May[6] The formation of the Melbourne Football Club in May 1859 appears to have spurred the Pivotonians to incorporate a club of their own. Even more frustratingly, the club finished only one and a half games off top spot on the ladder, but finished seventh in what was a very even year and also the last season that featured a final 'six' (it was reverted to a final 'eight' in 1994). may have a free kick from the place where the breach of Rule was made; the two Captains in all cases, save where Umpires are appointed, to be In 1863, Geelong travelled to Melbourne to contest the Caledonian Challenge Cup. In 1997 Geelong faced a season with no dependence on ageing superstars, Paul Couch and Gary Ablett. A Black Cat badge made in 1923. [5][10], Many of the club's official records before 1920 have disappeared. Only one behind kicked in first quarter; aggregate of scoring shots lowest since 1953 and second lowest since, Geelong actually led early in the third quarter before Hawthorn kicked 25.7 (157) to 1.7 (13) for a record score for a half, Geelong Football Club draft and trade history, List of Geelong Football Club individual awards and records, List of Geelong Football Club reserves team seasons, "MORE FANS TO ENJOY LIVE FOOTBALL AS GEELONG'S GMHBA STADIUM INCREASES CAPACITY LIMITS", Official Website of the Geelong Football Club, "UNEARTHING HISTORY: THE LOST BROWNLOW FILES", "Official AFL Website of the Geelong Cats Football Club", "Deakin welcomes Cats as MCG blockbuster looms", "Head to Head Between Geelong and Hawthorn", "The most enduring sponsorships of all time", "AFL club membership grows, but three clubs dropped off", "The membership ladder: Hawks overtake Pies, Dons slide", "AFL club membership heads towards a million", "Thanks a million: New membership benchmark", "AFL CLUB MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS FOR 2019 REVEALED", "AFL statement on club memberships in 2020", "ALL 18 AFL CLUBS' MEMBERSHIP TALLIES FOR 2022 REVEALED", "North and Geelong win AFLW expansion race", "AFL Women's Premiership Season - Every goalkicker", "Hickey named Geelong's inaugural AFLW captain", "Meghan McDonald Named Geelong AFLW Captain", "McDonald claims third consecutive AFLW best and fairest", "Gunjaca Crowned Cats' VFLW Best and Fairest", "Sheppard Crowned Cats' VFLW Best and Fairest", Official website of the Geelong Football Club, South Australian National Football League, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geelong_Football_Club&oldid=1152629461, Australian rules football clubs established in 1859, Australian rules football clubs in Geelong, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Rugby articles with insufficient color contrast, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Geelong 37.17 (239) v Brisbane Bears 11.9 (75), Geelong 25.13 (163) v Hawthorn 26.15 (171), 186 points Geelong 37.11 (233) v Melbourne 7.5 (47), 135 points Geelong 13.12 (90) v Hawthorn 35.15 (225), This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 11:18. Coach Mark Thompson was widely perceived to be at risk. Richer and more entrepreneurial clubs outbidded clubs like Geelong for talented and dedicated players. In 2016 Geelong again defeated Hawthorn in the qualifying final. The match was notable with Geelong successfully completing a comeback from a 28-point deficit early in the final quarter to record a victory when an after-the-siren kick Jimmy Bartel scored a point and resulted in a win. In 1884, the club merged with the Geelong Cricket Club to form the Geelong Cricket and Football Club. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Colbert then kicked long, where ruckman John Barnes dropped the mark, allowing Leigh Tudor, a former North Melbourne player to swoop, and kick the ball over Martyn's head to land in the hand of Gary Ablett. As Ablett walked back to take his kick, the siren went, and Ablett kicked the winning goal, propelling Geelong to its third Grand Final in seven years. 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. Coach Mark Thompson was widely perceived to be at risk. [86], The 2017 season resulted in Geelong once again reaching the preliminary finals, before succumbing to Adelaide by 61 points. Particularly notable was the 2001 AFL Draft, where future premiership players Jimmy Bartel, James Kelly, Steve Johnson and Gary Ablett Jr. (under the fatherson rule) were all selected by Geelong. The lyrics were written by former premiership player John Watts. As Geelong's captain, he pioneered the Australian football tactic of flooding. Gary Ablett played his worst game for years, he was goalless for the afternoon and was blanketed by Carlton's Stephen Silvagni. The club fell behind the progressive clubs of the 1970s, notably Carlton, Richmond, Hawthorn and North Melbourne. During this time, the club decided to set base at the more centrally located Kardinia Park in South Geelong. [4], Records of football matches in Geelong date to 1858. [5] Initially playing under its own rules, some of which, notably, were permanently introduced into Australian Football. However, the review accepted that Thompson should continue as coach. The club then bounced back to beat Footscray again in the preliminary final by 64 points to set up another matchup with the West Coast Eagles - this time in the grand final. It adopted the Laws of Australian Football in the early 1860s after a series of compromises with the Melbourne Football Club. He was enrolled as a boarder at Geelong College from 3 June 1925 to December 1927 and was in the 1st Football XVIII 1925-27 (Captain 1926-27 . Early in the season the clubs played a draw. The club competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition, and are the 2022 reigning premiers . 1979 Clarence FC - 40 year anniversary stubby holders available. Thompson was publicly outraged by the ordeal which he considered poorly handled. However, with several young players and second-tier midfielders, along with six goals from Gary Ablett, Geelong defeated Carlton by 33 points. [3] Bernie Smith became the club's second Brownlow Medalist in 1951, a year during which the club also signed the Ford Motor Company as a corporate sponsor.[21][22]. "They include having co-founded and run for 15 years Geelong's original YMCA little league football competition, working on the YMCA board for a decade including two years as president . The club's sole loss occurred in Round 9 with an 86-point deficit against Collingwood. Updated: 1 May 2023Source(s): Players; Coaches. After much speculation throughout the season, it was confirmed at season's end that Gary Ablett Jr. would be joining the Gold Coast expansion club that was entering the league in the 2011 season. Consistent with the close finish of 1989, Hawthorn won the match by two points. For many years the Geelong Football Club were known as the Pivotonians, after the city's nickname 'The Pivot'. VIII. His assistant Gary Ayres took over the job. Isaac Smith won the Norm Smith Medal. The Cats have been the VFL/AFL premiers ten times, with four in the AFL era (since 1990). [1] The club continued to excel over the following twenty years in the VFA, and established itself as one of the dominant clubs in the association by winning a total of seven premierships up to the birth of the (Victorian Football League) (VFL) in 1897.[14]. He then has a free kick: no player from the opposite side being allowed to come inside the spot marked If you're a past player or official - or you know a past player or official - that may . The Cats won by seven points. The Past Players and Officials Association moved into their new facilities in the Players Stand in June, 2014. A goal must be kicked fairly between the posts without touching either of them or any portion of the person of one of the opposite side in The club's high scoring game plan led them into their first Grand Final since 1967, however they were defeated by Hawthorn by just six points (in what was regarded as one of the greatest grand finals of all time). Geelong's score of 15.12 (102) and winning margin of 75 points against Sydney in Round 10 was the club's highest score and biggest win in the AFLW; [33] with the first-half score of 9.6 (60) the highest first-half score in AFLW history. [45] This session proved to be a catalyst for the club to begin a transformation of the club's culture, and resulted in a 157-point defeat of Richmond, with Geelong's score of 222 points the club's third-highest overall. The rules at the time were written in such a way as it could be interpreted by the umpire that the players were allowed sufficient time (to continue to run) for as long as they needed to prepare an effective kick, that is, virtually indefinitely. Any player who played in the first or second eighteen could join, and the committee could appoint life members. The club had a good home-and-away season to finish fourth. Over the next two weeks, Geelong met Hawthorn and the West Coast Eagles, both losses for the club. [59] Jimmy Bartel, who played in each of these three premiership wins, was awarded the Norm Smith Medal for his best on ground performance. Geelong won a memorable preliminary final by five points on their way to their first flag in 44 years. [63] It was the first time Fremantle had won a final outside its home state in its 18-year existence. 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. X. The two clubs fostered a strong early rivalry. $16 each or 2 any 2 for $30. This comical ceremony was inspired by the rumour that Geelong's premiership players of 1937 had buried a magpie in the middle of the ground after their premiership win over Collingwood that year. However, the Cats would not lose another game for the entire season, including a 6-point qualifying win over Collingwood, a 71-point preliminary final domination of the Brisbane Lions and a grand final triumph over Sydney to notch the Cats' 10th premiership and Chris Scott's 2nd. The club finished second on the ladder. The first player to win the award was Geelong's Edward Greeves. Former president of the Geelong Football Club, businessman and philanthropist Frank Costa has died at the age of 83. Each piece even a tiny lapel badge comes with a story. the sole Judges of infringements. The appointment follows a thorough recruitment process led by Egon Zehnder. Under Devine, the club grew accustomed to the league-wide introduction of the salary cap and AFL Draft, recruiting Barry Stoneham, Garry Hocking, Mark Bairstow and Billy Brownless. [36] A notable departure from Geelong was Ben Graham, the club captain from 2000 to 2002,[37] who quit playing Australian rules football to pursue a career as a punter with the New York Jets in the National Football League. The final against 4th placed St Kilda was a memorable one. [15], The rivalry between Hawthorn and Geelong is defined by two Grand Finals: those of 1989 and 2008. Gary Ablett topped the goalkicking for the year easily, kicking 129 goals (including the finals) and winning his second consecutive John Coleman Medal. This concession allowed sons of ex-players to nominate for their fathers' clubs, thus exempting them from being chosen by any other club in the national draft. Bob Gartland Did you know Geelong weren't called the Cats until 1923? [57] Despite an ageing playing list and predictions that the team would struggle in 2011,[58] Geelong finished the regular season in second position on the ladder, with only three losses for the season. However, in the final round of the home and away season Essendon's champion full forward, John Coleman retaliated against Carlton full back, Harry Caspar and was reported and later suspended for four weeks. It adopted the Laws of Australian Football in the early 1860s after a series of compromises with the Melbourne Football Club. The loss against the Eagles was by fifteen points. The club qualified for the AFLW finals series for the first time since Geelong's inaugural season in the competition in 2019. [11], Geelong's traditional navy blue and white hooped guernsey has been worn since the club's inception in the mid-1800s. [citation needed], It appeared Geelong would repeat the outcome of the previous season after five rounds of the 2007 season, where Geelong was positioned tenth on the ladder with two wins and three losses, with the latest loss being against the Kangaroos at Skilled Stadium. 10.18 PRESIDENT OF THE CLUB 18 11. Jack represents over 25 athletes across a range of different sports, including some of the country's biggest names such as Emma McKeon, Mack Horton, Cate & Bronte Campbell, Scott McLaughlin, Liz Watson and Sharni Layton. Cameron Mooney scored the highest number of goals with five, and a total of 11 Geelong players scored at least one goal, with five of those players scoring two goals or more. Geelong then travelled to Adelaide to play the Crows (who ironically finished lower on the ladder than Geelong but still got to host the game) and lost the match by eight points, after field umpire Grant Vernon failed to pay a courageous Leigh Colbert mark late in the game while Geelong were narrowly hanging on to a lead. 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.