The Geelong Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Geelong, Victoria. Since becoming a foundation club of the Victorian Football League (VFL)—which is now known as the Australian Football League (AFL)—in 1897, the club has participated in every season of the competition except the 1916, 1942 and 1943 seasons, where the club did not field teams due to World War I (1916) and World War II (1942 and 1943). In 126 completed seasons, Geelong has contested 19 VFL/AFL Grand Finals, winning 10 premierships, most recently in 2022.

Pre-VFA matches (1860–1876)

Before the formation of the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877 matches between clubs were organised on an ad hoc basis. Since its founding in 1859, the Geelong Football Club had been involved in matches between other provincial Victorian clubs, as well as the clubs formed in the metropolitan Melbourne area. The club contested its first interclub match against the Melbourne Football Club at Argyle Square in 1860, which finished as a scoreless draw. The two clubs fostered a strong early rivalry. Newspapers of the time would occasionally report on matches played by the club, with the Geelong Advertiser proclaiming in 1862 "last season Geelong footballers had the honour of defeating successively the three crack metropolitan clubs, much to the surprise of the latter."

The club competed for a number of challenge cups during the 1860s, permanently claiming the Caledonian Society Challenge Cup in 1864 after holding on the cup following a number of challenge matches.

During the 1867 season, Geelong would play the Carlton Football Club for the first time at the Argyle Ground, with the club earning a tight victory. A return match was played between the clubs the following year at Royal Park in Melbourne, with Geelong denied what they had considered a fair goal to see the match ending in a contentious draw. The two clubs would meet again the following year, while one of the founders of the club H. C. A. Harrison would line up against Geelong for Melbourne in a drawn match in 1869.

In 1873 the club would play a number of matches against metropolitan and provincial clubs, including three matches against the junior Kardinia Football Club.

At the start of the 1874 season, the club was the acknowledged holders of the "Geelong, Ballarat and Western District Challenge Cup" (GBWD Challenge Cup) and were subject to a number of challenge matches. Geelong would defend the cup twice against Kardinia, and twice against West End, also defeating Ballarat and Ballarat Phoenix (a match in which the club kicked their highest number of goals in a match with nine).The club also playing the first two notable matches against the St Kilda Football Club. Geelong would end the 1874 season with seven wins, three losses and two draws from matches reported on by the Geelong Advertiser.

During the 1875 season, Geelong would defend the GBWD Challenge Cup against Ballarat, Kardinia, and Corio Extended. In June, a second squad would play a match against the Barwon Football Club for the first time, with the two clubs first squads meeting for the first time to battle for the GBWD Challenge Cup on 10 July 1875. That match would end as a draw, as would a rematch on 14 August. Geelong were able to further defend the GBWD Challenge Cup with second wins against Corio Extended, and Kardinia, but suffered defeat against who were the premier metropolitan club.

A third 1875 match between Geelong and Barwon ended in controversy when the match was abandoned after Barwon supporters rushed onto the field after a decision by umpire Tom Wills who had deep connections with the Geelong club. Geelong claimed permanent ownership of the GBWD Challenge Cup a few weeks later following successful matches against Albion (the premier club from Ballarat), and for a second time against Ballarat.

A new Western Districts Challenge Cup was instituted by Thomas Wills ahead of the 1876 season. Geelong would win the first meeting against Barwon on 17 June, but lost the Cup on 29 July to Barwon in a contentious match with the club vowing never to play against their local rivals again. That loss was one of six for the season.

By 1877, while the system of organising matches was still up the secretaries of each club, the rules had been standardised by the VFA. In 1877 Geelong were acknowledged as one of the strongest provincial clubs, although local rivals Barwon in just their fourth season would take that title despite not coming to an agreement to play against Geelong.

+ Geelong's noted record by season Season Wins Losses Draws Captain 1874 12 3 1G.G. Day 1875 9 2 3 1876 3 6 3 O. Thomas

VFA (1877–1896)

+ Geelong's VFA record by season Season Wins Losses Draws Result Captain 1877 VFA (1) 5 2 1 Did not place 1878 VFA (2) 16 0 1 (1) 1879 VFA (3) 15 0 1 (2) 1880 VFA (4) 14 2 2 (3) 1881 VFA (5) 15 1 2 Runners-up (1) 1882 VFA (6) 20 2 2 (4) 1883 VFA (7) 15 3 3 (5) 1884 VFA (8) 22 2 1 (6) Harry Steedman 1885 VFA (9) 12 4 5 1886 VFA (10) 23 0 2 (7) 1887 VFA (11) 16 2 3 Runners-up (2) 1888 VFA (12) 12 3 4 Runners-up (3) 1889 VFA (13) 10 6 4 1890 VFA (14) 9 8 2 1891 VFA (15) 12 7 0 1892 VFA (16) 12 4 2 1893 VFA (17) 14 4 2 1894 VFA (18) 9 7 2 1895 VFA (19) 13 5 0 Runners-up (equal) (4) 1896 VFA (20) 4 11 3

VFL/AFL (1897–present) + Table key‡Finished the home and away season in first position (minor premiers)†Finished the home and away season in last position (wooden spoon)scope="row" Won the VFL/AFL premiership in the Grand FinalRunners-up Lost the Grand FinalPFDid not progress past the preliminary finalsSFDid not progress past the semi-finalsSRDid not progress past the sectional rounds in the finals (used between 1898 and 1900)QFDid not progress past the qualifying finalsEFDid not progress past the elimination finalsDNQDid not qualify for finals^Denotes captain-coach+Joint winner + Geelong's VFL/AFL record by season Season Home and away results Finals results Coach Captain 1897 VFL (1) ‡ 11 3 0 Runners-up (1) None 1898 VFL (2) 9 5 0 SR Unknown (2) 1899 VFL (3) 10 4 0 SR (3) 1900 VFL (4) 9 5 0 SR 1901 VFL (5) ‡ 14 3 0 SF 1902 VFL (6) 7 10 0 DNQ 1903 VFL (7) 9 8 0 SF (2) 1904 VFL (8) 4 12 1 DNQ Unknown (3) 1905 VFL (9) 6 11 0 DNQ (4) 1906 VFL (10) 5 12 0 DNQ (2) 1907 VFL (11) 7 10 0 DNQ Unknown 1908 VFL (12) † 2 16 0 DNQ 1909 VFL (13) 3 15 0 DNQ 1910 VFL (14) 10 7 1 DNQ (2) 1911 VFL (15) 8 9 1 DNQ (2) (3) 1912 VFL (16) 11 7 0 SF ^ (3) (4) 1913 VFL (17) 10 8 0 DNQ Unknown (5) 1914 VFL (18) 11 6 1 SF ^ (4) (6) 1915 VFL (19) † 3 13 0 DNQ None 1916 Did not participate 1917 VFL (20) 6 9 0 DNQ None (7) 1918 VFL (21) 3 11 0 DNQ Unknown (8) 1919 VFL (22) 3 12 1 DNQ Jim Kearney (9) 1920 VFL (23) 5 11 0 DNQ ^ 1921 VFL (24) 9 7 0 SF (2) 1922 VFL (25) 5 11 0 DNQ None (3) 1923 VFL (26) 9 7 0 SF (2) (4) 1924 VFL (27) 8 8 0 DNQ ^ Unknown 1925 VFL (28) ‡ 15 2 0 (1) ^ (2) 1926 VFL (29) 15 3 0 SF (3) 1927 VFL (30) 14 4 0 SF (4) 1928 VFL (31) 6 12 0 DNQ ^ 1929 VFL (32) 8 10 0 DNQ ^ 1930 VFL (33) 11 7 0 Runners-up (2) (2) 1931 VFL (34) ‡ 15 3 0 (2) (3) 1932 VFL (35) 11 6 1 DNQ ^ (2) 1933 VFL (36) 12 6 0 PF (3) 1934 VFL (37) 14 3 1 PF (2) 1935 VFL (38) 6 11 1 DNQ 1936 VFL (39) 11 7 0 DNQ ^Reg Hickey^ (2) 1937 VFL (40) ‡ 15 3 0 (3) ^ (2) (3) 1938 VFL (41) 13 5 0 PF 1939 VFL (42) 7 11 0 DNQ + + 1940 VFL (43) 11 7 0 SF (2) 1941 VFL (44) 3 15 0 DNQ 1942 Did not participate 1943 1944 VFL (45) † 1 17 0 DNQ (2) 1945 VFL (46) 2 18 0 DNQ Lindsay White 1946 VFL (47) 4 15 0 DNQ 1947 VFL (48) 11 8 0 DNQ (3) 1948 VFL (49) 7 12 0 DNQ (8) 1949 1949 (50) 9 10 0 DNQ Tom Morrow (9) 1950 VFL (51) 10 8 0 PF Lindsay White 1951 VFL (52) ‡ 14 4 0 (4) (2) 1952 VFL (53) ‡ 16 2 1 (5) (3) 1953 VFL (54) ‡ 15 3 0 Runners-up (3) (4) 1954 VFL (55) ‡ 13 5 0 PF 1955 VFL (56) 14 4 0 PF (2) 1956 VFL (57) 13 5 0 SF (2) (2) 1957 VFL (58) † 5 12 1 DNQ 1958 VFL (59) † 4 14 0 DNQ 1959 VFL (60) 5 13 0 DNQ (2) 1960 VFL (61) 6 11 1 DNQ Colin Rice (3) 1961 VFL (62) 10 7 1 DNQ 1962 VFL (63) 14 4 0 PF replay (2) 1963 VFL (64) 13 4 1 (6) (3) 1964 VFL (65) 13 4 1 PF (2) (4) 1965 VFL (66) 13 5 0 SF 1966 VFL (67) 14 4 0 SF (5) 1967 VFL (68) 13 5 0 Runners-up (4) (6) 1968 VFL (69) 15 5 0 PF (7) 1969 VFL (70) 13 6 1 SF (8) 1970 VFL (71) 12 10 0 DNQ (2) (9) 1971 VFL (72) 5 17 0 DNQ (10) 1972 VFL (73) 7 15 0 DNQ (11) 1973 VFL (74) 6 16 0 DNQ 1974 VFL (75) 11 11 0 DNQ (2) 1975 VFL (76) 7 15 0 DNQ (2) + + 1976 VFL (77) 12 10 0 SF (2) (2) 1977 VFL (78) 8 14 0 DNQ (3) (3) 1978 VFL (79) 12 10 0 EF (2) (4) 1979 VFL (80) 12 10 0 DNQ (3) (2) 1980 VFL (81) ‡ 17 5 0 PF 1981 VFL (82) 16 6 0 PF (2) 1982 VFL (83) 7 15 0 DNQ 1983 VFL (84) 8 14 0 DNQ (3) 1984 VFL (85) 11 11 0 DNQ 1985 VFL (86) 12 10 0 DNQ 1986 VFL (87) 7 15 0 DNQ (2) 1987 VFL (88) 11 10 1 DNQ 1988 VFL (89) 10 12 0 DNQ (2) (3) 1989 VFL (90) 16 6 0 Runners-up (5) (2) (4) 1990 AFL (91) 8 14 0 DNQ (5) 1991 AFL (92) 16 6 0 PF 1992 AFL (93) ‡ 16 6 0 Runners-up (6) (2) 1993 AFL (94) 12 8 0 DNQ (2) (6) 1994 AFL (95) 13 9 0 Runners-up (7) (3) (7) 1995 AFL (96) 16 6 0 Runners-up (8) Ken HinkleyGarry HockingBarry Stoneham (3) (8) 1996 AFL (97) 13 8 1 QF Barry Stoneham (4) (9) 1997 AFL (98) 15 7 0 SF 1998 AFL (99) 9 13 0 DNQ + (2) + 1999 AFL (100) 10 12 0 DNQ Garry Hocking (3) 2000 AFL (101) 12 9 1 EF + (4) + 2001 AFL (102) 9 13 0 DNQ + (5) + 2002 AFL (103) 11 11 0 DNQ (2) 2003 AFL (104) 7 14 1 DNQ 2004 AFL (105) 15 7 0 PF 2005 AFL (106) 12 10 0 SF 2006 AFL (107) 10 11 1 DNQ 2007 AFL (108) ‡ 18 4 0 (7) 2008 AFL (109) ‡ 21 1 0 Runners-up (9) (2) 2009 AFL (110) 18 4 0 rowspan="2" (8) + (2) (2) + 2010 AFL (111) 17 5 0 PF 2011 AFL (112) 19 3 0 (9) (2) 2012 AFL (113) 15 7 0 EF 2013 AFL (114) 18 4 0 PF (2) (2) 2014 AFL (115) 17 5 0 SF (3) (3) 2015 AFL (116) 11 9 1 DNQ (4) 2016 AFL (117) 17 5 0 PF (5) 2017 AFL (118) 15 6 1 PF (2) (6) 2018 AFL (119) 13 9 0 EF (2) (7) 2019 AFL (120) ‡ 16 6 0 PF (3) (8) 2020 AFL (121) 12 5 0 Runners-up (10) (9) 2021 AFL (122) 16 6 0 PF (10) 2022 AFL (123) ‡ 18 4 0 rowspan="2" (10) + (11) + (2) 2023 AFL (124) 10 12 1 DNQ (2) 2024 AFL (125) 15 8 0 PF (2) 2025 AFL (126) 17 6 0 Runners-up (11) (2) (3) 2026 AFL (127) 15 8 0 SF

Notes

References