Geelong Football Club | Cats

Based in Geelong, the Geelong Football Club (Cats) has some of the most dedicated fans in the AFL.

Geelong has a proud history, having won TEN AFL and seven VFA premierships in its history with wins in 1925, 1931, 1937, 1951, 1952, 1963, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2022.

The club won the Western District Challenge Cup in 1875, a then-record seven VFA premierships between 1878 and 1886, and six VFL premierships by 1963.

The co-founder of Australian Rules Football, Thomas Wills established the Geelong Football Club in July 1859, making it the 2nd oldest club of any football code in the world.

Wills formed Geelong Football Club for the same reason he and his cousin, Henry Harrison, had earlier established the Melbourne Football Club.. to keep cricketers fit during the off-season.

The club assumed the Cats nickanme after a spate of losses early in the 1923 season prompted a cartoonist to suggest Geelong needed a black cat to bring it good luck.

Centreman Edward 'Carji' Greeves won the inaugural Brownlow Medal, an award for the best and fairest player instituted in memory of Charles Brownlow, who died in 1924.

Premierships

Geelong has a proud history, having won nine AFL and seven VFA premierships in its history.

The Cats tasted success in 1925, 1931, 1937, 1951, 1952, 1963, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2022.

1925
Geelong took out its first league premiership and its first senior flag since taking out VFA honours in 1886.

1931
Geelong bounced back from losing the 1930 grand final to defeat Collingwood to take out their second league premiership.

1937
Geelong took out the minor premiership by winning 15 of 18 games, before going on to win their third premiership defeating Collingwood in the ghrand final.

1951
A fourth premiership came to Geelong with an 11-point win over Essendon on grand final day.

1952
By grand final day, Geelong was in the midst of a 26-game unbeaten run, and Collingwood posed few problems on the big day.

1963
Geelong won the premiership against Hawthorn even though they were not in first place after the home & away season.

2007
Geelong broke its 44-year premiership drought with an incredible 119-point win over Port Adelaide.

2009
Geelong claimed their second premiership in three years after coming from behind to beat St Kilda.

2011
The Cats were written off all year but stood up when it mattered to defeat Collingwood by 27 points.

2022
Geelong has capped a dominant season by comprehensively dismantling Sydney by 81 points in the AFL men's grand final.

The Cats came into the decider on a 15-match winning streak after finishing the season on top of the ladder, and were never threatened on their way to a 10th premiership in front of 100,024 spectators at the MCG, winning 20.13 (133) to 8.4 (52).

Geelong Cats are the only club in the AFL that does not allow its official logo/banner to be shown.

Geelong Home Ground Venues

GMHBA Stadium | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Marvel Stadium