Geelong failed in 1990 to reproduce the exciting brand of attacking football of 1989. 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. The club contested its first interclub match against Melbourne at Argyle Square in 1860, which finished as a scoreless draw. Geelong was thrashed by 61 points, playing its worst game for the entire season. In April 1859 local teetotaler Mr. William "Stitt" Jenkins (of Liverpool, England and Melbourne) who had been working in Geelong from 1853 educating local youths made repeated to form an athletic club to play football on Saturday afternoons[5] and May[6] The formation of the Melbourne Football Club in May 1859 appears to have spurred the Pivotonians to incorporate a club of their own. Despite dominating in the VFA, Geelong found the premiership harder to win in the VFL. [citation needed], Geelong changed their name to the Geelong Cats in 2008 and continued to dominate with the club having a regular season record of 21 wins and one loss to become the best-performing team in the home-and-away season since Essendon in 2000. The club set new records for most disposals every year through this period, with record low kick-to-handpass ratios including having fewer kicks than handpasses across its entire 2009 premiership season. Frustratingly for supporters of the Club, 1963 was the last time that Geelong enjoyed premiership success until 2007. Ablett returned mid-season to the club. [17], At 98 years as of 2023, Geelong's sponsorship with the Ford Motor Company is the longest active sports sponsorship of any sports team in the world, with continuous sponsorship dating back to 1925, a record recognised by Guinness. Used for most of the club's home matches in the AFL all home matches in other competitions. They finally met again in a Grand Final in 2011, which Geelong won by 38 points; Geelong inflicted Collingwood's only three losses for the 2011 season. In 1990, the league was expanded to a national level and became known as the Australian Football League (AFL). The design is said to represent the white seagulls and blue water of Corio Bay. Geelong officials asserted that the game was "not meant to be played like rugby", began to enforce its rule of bouncing the ball at a certain distance (the exact distance is unknown) while carrying it for matches between the two clubs. In an interview with Lou Richards on Channel 7's World of Sport, Bob Davis predicted that Newman would enjoy a stellar career. The historic beginnings of the Geelong Football Club | Bob Gartland Speech | Geelong Football Club - YouTube Learn how one of the oldest sporting clubs in the world came to be.. . Bob Davis acknowledges the possibility that had Coleman played, Essendon may well have won, given that Geelong had no true match for him, as Coleman was simply too skilled. 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. Bob Gartland Did you know Geelong weren't called the Cats until 1923? Hocking announced as new Chief Executive - Geelong Football Club He joined the Geelong board in the . "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 . [15] This affiliation would continue until the 1950s.