The Geelong Football Club is a football club in the Australian Football League (AFL). They play under the name 'Geelong Cats', and are based in the city of Geelong, a city of 190,000 people about 80 kilometres from Melbourne. They are the only current AFL team that is not based in a state capital city (although some may count the Fremantle Dockers and at one stage the Brisbane Bears were actually based on the Gold Coast).

The club is the second oldest football club of any code in the world, having being formed in the Victoria Hotel in 1859. Originally based at Corio Oval, Geelong moved to Kardinia Park in the 1940's. For many years they were known as the Pivotonians, after the city's nickname 'The Pivot', Seagulls was also an earlier nickname. They were nicknamed the 'Cats' in 1923.

Although being a relatively strong performer throughout the 1980s and 1990s (Grand Final appearances in 1989, 1992, 1994 and 1995), the Cats have been unable to win a premiership since 1963.

The club won the VFL/AFL premierships in: 1925, 1931, 1937, 1951, 1952 and 1963.

In 2004 they were placed fourth. A change from 2003 when they didnt make the finals. 2005 is a promising year with many young players and being a genuine premiership contender.

Theme song: "We are Geelong" (sung to the tune of the Toreador Song from Carmen).

Brownlow Medal winners

• 1924 *Edward Greeves
• 1951 *Bernie Smith
• 1962 *Alistair Lord
• 1989 Paul Couch

Other notable players

• Gary Ablett
• Graeme 'Polly' Farmer
• Bill Goggin
• Reg Hickey
• Ian Nankervis
• Doug Wade

External links

• Official Website of the Geelong Football Club (http://www.gfc.com.au/)
• Official Website of the Australian Football League (http://afl.com.au/)

Clubs in the Australian Football League

Adelaide Crows | Brisbane Lions | Carlton | Collingwood | Essendon | Fremantle | Geelong | Hawthorn Kangaroos | Melbourne | Port Adelaide | Richmond | St Kilda | Sydney Swans | West Coast Eagles | Western Bulldogs Defunct clubs: | Brisbane Bears | Fitzroy | University