What is the Geelong Football Club?
The Geelong Football Club, known as the Cats, is an AFL club based in the regional Victorian city of Geelong. Founded in 1859, it is one of the oldest football clubs in the world.
Geelong was a founding club of the Victorian Football League in 1897. It plays its home games at Kardinia Park, known commercially as GMHBA Stadium, where the team has a strong home record.
The club's colors are navy blue and white hoops. The nickname, the Cats, is said to come from a black cat that appeared during a run of wins in the 1920s.
Premiership success
Geelong has won 10 VFL and AFL premierships. After a 44-year drought, the club won the 2007 Grand Final by a record margin of 119 points against Port Adelaide.
It won further premierships in 2009 and 2011, and again in 2022, when it defeated the Sydney Swans. Coach Chris Scott led the club to the 2011 and 2022 flags.
Famous Geelong players include Polly Farmer, Gary Ablett Sr and Gary Ablett Jr, Jimmy Bartel, Joel Selwood, Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Hawkins. Joel Selwood retired after the 2022 premiership.
Did You Know?
Kardinia Park has been redeveloped with new grandstands to increase its capacity.