geelong football club past presidents

[44] Responding to member anger, the Board ordered a comprehensive review of all aspects of the administration of the club and of the club's personnel. It adopted the Laws of Australian Football in the early 1860s after a series of compromises with the Melbourne Football Club. [43] Ultimately, the club finished tenth on the ladder and failed to make the finals. A giant figure in Victoria's second-biggest city, Mr Costa and his brother Adrian took over the family fruit and vegetable business in 1958, growing Costa Group into a billion-dollar company. The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed the Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The game shall be played within a space of no more than 200 yards wide the same to be measured equally on each side of a line drawn through the centres of the two goals and two posts to be called the "kick off posts" shall be erected at a distance of 20 yards on each side of the goal posts at both ends and in a straight line with them in case the ball is kicked behind Despite missing the finals during this first season back with the club, Hickey led Geelong to two consecutive premierships in 1951 and 1952to date, the only back-to-back premierships in the club's history. Paul Couch also won the Brownlow Medal to become the club's fourth Brownlow Medalist and first in twenty-seven years. [26] Gary Ablett Sr. and Billy Brownless both kicked more than 70 goals for the season to form a potent forward-line combination. [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. The Geelong Football Club's rich history is all around us. If you're a past player or official - or you know a past player or official - that may . In 1986, the club appointed former premiership player John Devine as coach. Also in 1993, Blight decided to play Gary Ablett at Full Forward permanently. [5] Initially playing under its own rules, some of which, notably, were permanently introduced into Australian Football. Any player who played in the first or second eighteen could join, and the committee could appoint life members. The new club was called the Geelong Football Club; it was typically . [3] Geelong followed up with further premiership wins in 1931 and 1937. In November 2007, Diana was elected as the President of the Western Region Football League, one of the largest metropolitan football leagues in . He therefore was unable to play in the grand final. $16 each or 2 any 2 for $30. The Geelong Football Club is mourning the passing of past president Frank Costa. Despite dominating in the VFA, Geelong found the premiership harder to win in the VFL. [8] Rules allegedly used by the Geelong Football Club in 1859 were originally written down by hand. "John was a great Geelong person, having served as mayor of Geelong, and also as president of the Geelong Football Club from 1980-1983. However, in 1881 the club was evicted from the ground by the private owner who ploughed up the paddock because the club had neglected to pay its rent. Malcolm Blight, dispirited by three Grand Final losses under his tenure, announced his resignation. A week later it seemed Geelong had no hope of beating Carlton, who had finished 2nd after the home and away season, given that their three best midfielders; Garry Hocking, Paul Couch and Mark Bairstow were not playing through injury. 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]. Season 1991 started ominously. [92] However, their form dropped off after the round 13 bye and they would not win consecutive matches for the remainder of the year. [33] Post season, Geelong signed Nathan Ablett under the fatherson rule,[34] just as the club had done with older brother Gary in 2001. It was a disappointing end to a season of high hope, but the club could still hold its head high, as they gave their all in the finals of 1997 - but unfortunately just suffered some terrible bad luck. Thompson's first season as senior coach in 2000 was somewhat successful; Geelong finished the regular season in fifth position and qualified for the finals series for the first time since 1997, losing to Hawthorn in an elimination final. Geelong then succeeded in winning their remaining match of the regular season, where they finished three games clear of Port Adelaide in first position on the ladder, earning the club their first McLelland Trophy since 1992, and qualification for the season's finals series. Geelong were victorious, defeating St Kilda by 12 points. [18][19], Updated: 1 May 2023Source(s): Playing list, Coaching staff. IX. The ball may at any time be taken in hand, but not carried further than is necessary for a kick. 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 The Board opted for stability over the uncertainty of radical personnel change. A Black Cat badge made in 1923. 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). The name of the company is the GEELONG FOOTBALL CLUB LIMITED ('the Club'). 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. During 1980, the club brought back Goggin to coach the team. The club earned a week break and returned for the third weeks clash against Richmond, and won by 89 points and so for the second consecutive season and for the fourth time in seven years, Geelong played for the premiership, this time against Carlton, who had only lost two games for the year. However, the review accepted that Thompson should continue as coach. VIII. 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. 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 . History of the Geelong Football Club - Wikipedia A notable recruit would be Steven King, standing at over two metres tall. Bob's fascination with and commitment to Australian football spans over six decades. In 1952, Geelong easily defeated Lou Richards' Collingwood team. The club had also won the 2007 VFL premiership against Coburg the weekend before. 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. During his time however, Hafey helped recruit several players to the club, including Gary Ablett, Paul Couch, and Greg Williams. The historic beginnings of the Geelong Football Club - YouTube Geelong failed in 1990 to reproduce the exciting brand of attacking football of 1989. The Geelong Football Club Past Players Association (GFCPPA) was established in 1933, two years after Geelong had won its second VFL Premiership in 1931. The Club was named in joint recognition of Noel Newman and his son John (Sam) Newman. Blight agreed and Geelong began to play like champions again. Any player catching the ball directly from the foot may call 'mark'. 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. The lyrics were written by former premiership player John Watts. 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. Tallies of 10 goal against North Melbourne, and 12 against his favourite victim, Richmond, in winning sides. The club qualified for the AFLW finals series for the first time since Geelong's inaugural season in the competition in 2019. The song currently used by the club was recorded by the Fable Singers in April 1972. Geelong met North Melbourne in the Preliminary Final in a match which proved even more nailbiting than their match with Footscray 2 weeks prior. During this era the "Coulter Law" discouraged club administrators from poaching players from each other's clubs. 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 Geelong went on to play for most of its existence in the premier competitions, the first competition, the Caledonian Society Cup, a foundation club of both the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877 and the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1897.,[6] VFL and continues in the elite Australian Football League (AFL). Bob Gartland | Contemporary Histories Five barriers Geelong must overcome to win the flag", "Ruthless Cats show undermanned Tigers no mercy", "Powerful Pies surge into prelim, extend Cats' finals heartbreak", "Cats storm into prelim but face nervous wait on star", "Yellow and back: Tigers into another GF with comeback win over Cats", https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2020-gary-ablett-retirement-gary-ablett-walk-off-levi-ablett-jordan-ablett-geelong-afl-grand-final/news-story/c10b85c18676143d3ec2d632bc94cb91, "AFL Women's league: Collingwood, Carlton among eight clubs in new national competition", "AFLW: Tasmania-North Melbourne and Geelong win licences to field teams from 2019", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_Geelong_Football_Club&oldid=1151460044, This page was last edited on 24 April 2023, at 05:58. However, in the final round of the season, the semi finals and the grand final (the only instance of a team playing three matches in a row against one other team Hawthorn does not have that claim as it played Melbourne in the intervening Preliminary Final), Geelong defeated John Kennedy's Hawthorn (the Hawks). Captained by Fred Wooller, Geelong clearly distinguished itself as the team of 1963 with an easy 49 point win. For most of the season on-field performances were lacklustre as the players struggled to adapt. [38], The club once again played in the finals in 2005, defeating Melbourne in an elimination final by 55 points to reach the semi-finals,[39] where they played Sydney at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The Cats have been the VFL/AFL premiers ten times, with four in the AFL era (since 1990). The first meeting of the past players was held a week later on 17 August 1933, where a motion was moved for a Past Players Association to be formed. The Geelong Advertiser appears to indicate that Geelong had Saturday football teams regularly "hacked shins" in March 1859. 1995 saw the club improve. North Melbourne, who were playing on its actual home ground, beat Geelong by 18 points in a hard fought encounter. It was alleged that saboteurs attempted to destroy one of the special trains carrying Geelong supporters to the match in South Melbourne. During this time, Bob founded the Geelong Football Club's History Society, serving as its inaugural Chair. 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 Football Club. Having won the premiership, players were more eagerly looking forward to their trip to Adelaide. The distance between the Goals and the goal post shall be decided upon by the captains of the sides playing 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. "For the first time, Polly was a genuine Geelong Football Club premiership club player," said Davis. [64] In the reserves however, Geelong won its third VFL premiership, defeating Port Melbourne by 33 points in the 2012 VFL Grand Final. [citation needed], Across the next three seasons Geelong experienced a lean period where finals were not realised for three years from 2001 to 2003 finishing twelfth, ninth and twelfth respectively. McGREGOR, Alexander Hugh (1908-1997) 'Alec' McGregor (Football 1927) 'Alec' McGregor was born at Mount Gambier on 15 June 1908, the son of William McAlpine McGregor and Flora Sarah, nee McDonald. It is sung to the tune of "Toreador" from Carmen. The Geelong reserves team began competing in the VFL Reserves competition with the league's other reserves teams from 1919. [85] Dangerfield, in his first season at the club, polled a then-record 35 votes to win the 2016 Brownlow Medal. [citation needed], Geelong proceeded to defeat the Kangaroos and Collingwood in their qualifying and preliminary finals respectively, the latter being a close game with Collingwood threatening victory late in the match. In the 1963 season, Geelong played Hawthorn four times. Geelong went on to play for most of its existence in the premier competitions, the first competition, the Caledonian Society Cup, a foundation club of both the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877 and the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1897. During the 1989 season, Geelong were the only club to win matches by 100 points for three weeks in succession. After failing to make the finals in 1982, the club board sacked Goggin as coach and appointed former Richmond premiership coach Tom Hafey in his place. Both were present at the inaugural dinner in 1980 at which Noel gave the founding speech. Print. However, in the second half West Coast's Peter Matera ran riot, booting five goals and earning himself the Norm Smith Medal as best on ground. This late season match in the VFA between two previously undefeated teams, Geelong and South Melbourne, stimulated unprecedented public interest. In an interview with Lou Richards on Channel 7's World of Sport, Bob Davis predicted that Newman would enjoy a stellar career. [5][10], Many of the club's official records before 1920 have disappeared. [11], Geelong's traditional navy blue and white hooped guernsey has been worn since the club's inception in the mid-1800s. In 1990, the league was expanded to a national level and became known as the Australian Football League (AFL). Geelong also recruited Brad Ottens from Richmond during the 2004 trade period;[35] this trade would later prove significant with Ottens playing a key role in the club's coming premiership success. Geelong performed poorly early on in the 1923 season. Clarence Football Club - Pat Hartnett [8] A reprint of what were believed in 1923 to have been the Geelong's eleven 1859 rules appeared in the Geelong Advertiser courtesy of Fred Blackham from an old folded card. The resultant loss caused the cats to exit by losing both finals. Love our Geelong Cats | Our past presidents from the Geelong football A fine feat given that Geelong's target all season, Gary Ablett was being beaten by North Melbourne's full back, Mick Martyn. In late 1921, the VFA granted the Geelong & District Junior Football Association permission to establish a new senior club to be admitted to the Association. An iconic figure in the Geelong region, Costa has long been a community leader. [14], Geelong's administrative headquarters is its home stadium, GMHBA Stadium or also known as Kardinia Park. "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 . 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. By mid season, Couch would retire on 259 games. Notable was Geelong's success in the "Match of the Century" in 1886. line, and thrown in at right angles with that line 2009. 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. [53] Its success with the tactic was revolutionary: as recently as 2003, having fewer kicks than handpasses was universally seen as a sign of a struggling team; but Geelong's teams were able to turn it into an attacking weapon and become the highest scoring team in the league. [47] After qualifying for the 2009 AFL finals series, Geelong proceeded to win its qualifying and preliminary finals in succession, earning a place in the 2009 AFL Grand Final against St Kilda. (past and present) of the Club by: (i) grants of money, insurance or other aid to them and their . A run of losses prompted a local cartoonist to suggest that the club needed a black cat to bring it good luck. [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. [89][90], The 2019 season saw Geelong finish on top of the AFL ladder for the first time since 2008. Costa was at that stage one of Australia's most successful businessmen, and famously turned down a $1 million cash . VOTES AT MEETING AND ELECTIONS 18 11.1 VOTING MEMBERS 18 11.2 NON-VOTING 19 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. Former Geelong player Greg Williams, now a superstar at Carlton, was named best on ground with his five goals. Geelong's traditional guernsey colours are white with navy blue hoops. Geelong jumped the Swans early on, clinching a 6.5 (41) to 1.0 (6) quarter time lead which enabled them to cruise to an 81-point victory. His formal involvement with the game culminated in 12 years as a Director of the Geelong Football Club, including six years as Vice President. His assistant Gary Ayres took over the job. On the eve of the season, Gary Ablett retired for odd reasons. 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. Ablett's most notable performances of this year included 11 goals against Melbourne, 14 against Essendon and 10 against the Adelaide Crows all in losing sides. The roller-coaster season saw coach Gary Ayres quit to take the job at Adelaide, which ironically was available after Malcolm Blight quit, almost identical to when Ayres took over Geelong in 1995. The move followed the redevelopment of the old Doug Wade stand. Geelong experienced a notably lean period during the 1940s, as World War II wartime restrictions prohibited traveling. The club was on a financial precipice, playing in a crumbling venue and had not tasted premiership success in 36 years. Home games are played at GMHBA Stadium, with some played as curtain-raisers to senior AFL matches. Geelong captain Bert Rankin liked the analogy and suggested the club adopt "the Cats" nickname, even recruiting key position forward Lloyd Hagger, a talented artist, to design a cat that was made into badges for the players to wear on their lapels. [31] In the absence of finals appearances at AFL-level, the club's reserves team won its first VFL premiership in 2002. All the latest news, video, results and information . III. [15] This affiliation would continue until the 1950s. PDF Constitution of Geelong Football Club Limited Part One - Afl [13], Following the formation of the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877, Geelong joined the association as one of its foundation clubs. Claimed to be Geelong Football Club's official 1859 rules, Rebuilding and modest success (19601970), Recruiting for success and entry of women's team, Cats end their finals hoodoo and win 10th premiership. [60] Notably, all three of Collingwood's losses for the season were to Geelong. The Past Players and Officials Association moved into their new facilities in the Players Stand in June, 2014. The club met North Melbourne in a "home" final at the MCG at night. [74] Consequently, Dangerfield was traded to Geelong after winning Adelaide's best and fairest award for 2015. Craig Drummond is the new Geelong Football Club president. "We Are Geelong" is the song sung after a game won by the Geelong Football Club. Read about the top Cats on Geelong Past Players & Officials Club's website. [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 final against 4th placed St Kilda was a memorable one. Isaac Smith won the Norm Smith Medal. The Board opted for stability over the uncertainty of radical personnel change. [6] 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, after which it experienced a 44-year waiting period until it won its next premiership, a Grand Final-record 119-point victory in 2007. 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.