2019 Geelong Football Club season

The 2019 season was the Geelong Football Club's 120th in the Australian Football League (AFL). It was the ninth season under senior coach Chris Scott, with Joel Selwood appointed as club captain for an eight successive year. Geelong (known as the Cats) participated in the 2019 JLT Community Series as part of their pre-season schedule, and the club's regular season began on 22 March against Collingwood at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The Cats finished the home-and-away season with a 16–6 win–loss record and placed first on the league's ladder, earning Geelong their first minor premiership since the 2008 season. Progressing to the third week of the 2019 finals series, Geelong was subsequently defeated in a preliminary final against Richmond by 19 points, eliminating them before the 2019 AFL Grand Final.

Geelong Football Club
2019 season
Team huddle on surface of playing arena
Team huddle in round 9, 2019
PresidentColin Carter
CoachChris Scott
(9th season)
Captain(s)Joel Selwood
(8th season)
Home groundGMHBA Stadium
AFL season16 wins, 6 losses (1st)
Finals seriesPreliminary final
Best and FairestPatrick Dangerfield
Leading goalkickerTom Hawkins (56)
Average home attendance33,405
Club membership65,063

Patrick Dangerfield was named Geelong's best and fairest player, polling 268 votes for the Carji Greeves Medal ahead of second-placed Tim Kelly on 259.5 votes. It was Dangerfield's third Carji Greeves Medal, having previously won the award the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Tom Hawkins was the club's leading goalkicker for the eighth successive season, scoring 56 goals. Dangerfield, Kelly and Hawkins were all selected in the 2019 All-Australian team, alongside Geelong teammate Tom Stewart. Kelly also received the AFL Coaches Association's Best Young Player award. The Cats also fielded a reserves team in the Victorian Football League (VFL), where they were defeated in an elimination final by Port Melbourne.

Background

Joel Selwood (captain) and Chris Scott (coach)

Chris Scott continued as the club's senior coach for a ninth season, after signing a contract in August 2018 extending his tenure until the end of the 2022 season.[1] The Cats had four assistant coaches this season, each responsible for specific positions within games: James Rahilly (forward line), Matthew Knights and Nigel Lappin (midfield), Matthew Scarlett (back line).[2] Corey Enright was also a member of the coaching panel, fulfilling the role of development coach for Geelong's young players.[2]

Joel Selwood was appointed the club's captain for an eighth successive season, with Patrick Dangerfield and Harry Taylor sharing the role of vice-captain.[3] They were supported by a leadership group made up by teammates Mark Blicavs, Mitch Duncan and Zach Tuohy, who all remained in the group from the prior season, along with new addition Tom Stewart.[3]

Ford Australia was the major sponsor of the club for the 2019 season, continuing a long-running deal that started in 1925.[4] GMHBA was the naming rights sponsor for Geelong's home ground Kardinia Park, continuing a ten-year deal signed in October 2017 for the venue to be known as GMHBA Stadium.[5] The Cats were scheduled to play nine of their eleven home games at GMHBA Stadium for the season's home-and-away fixture; the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) hosted the club's remaining two home games against Essendon and Hawthorn.[6][7] Geelong signed up 65,063 members and had an average home ground attendance of 33,405 spectators across the season.[8][9]

Playing list

Luke Dahlhaus (via free agency) and Gary Rohan (via trade) joined Geelong in the off–season.[10][11]

Changes

At the end of the 2018 season, Geelong delisted Aaron Black, Ryan Gardner, Cory Gregson, Daniel Menzel and Jordan Murdoch and Timm House from their primary list; the club also removed Stewart Crameri and Matthew Hayball from their rookie list.[12][13] Menzel and Murdoch were later recruited by Sydney and Gold Coast respectively as delisted free agents.[14][15] Conversely, rookies Jack Henry and Mark O'Connor were both upgraded to the Cats' senior list for 2019.[16]

Geelong were involved in six trades during the annual trade period, the first of which involved the Cats exchanging Lincoln McCarthy (along with picks 55 and 59 in the upcoming national draft) to Brisbane for picks 43 and 62.[17] Geelong used these picks to secure Nathan Kreuger from Carlton[nb 1] and Gary Rohan from Sydney respectively.[11][19] The club then traded George Horlin-Smith to Gold Coast for pick 59, and Jackson Thurlow to Sydney for pick 70;[20][21] pick 59 was later on-traded (along with pick 60) to Collingwood in return for pick 51.[22] Additionally, Luke Dahlhaus joined the club as an unrestricted free agent.[10]

Six players were drafted by the Cats in the 2018 national draft: Jordan Clark (pick 15), Ben Jarvis (48), Jacob Kennerley (50), Darcy Fort (65), Jake Tarca (68) and Oscar Brownless (74)—a father–son selection.[23][24] Geelong also selected Tom Atkins (pick 11) in the rookie draft; Atkins had been playing with the club's Victorian Football League (VFL) team since 2014.[25] Gaelic footballer Stefan Okunbor was recruited to the club from Ireland as a Category B rookie, and was joined by Blake Schlensog, a graduate from Geelong's "Next Generation Academy".[26][27]

Statistics

Geelong utilised 34 players from their playing list this season;[28] of these players, five played in their first AFL game: Tom Atkins, Jordan Clark, Charlie Constable, Darcy Fort and Gryan Miers.[29] Additionally, Luke Dahlhaus and Gary Rohan played their first games for the Cats, having previously played for Western Bulldogs and Sydney respectively.[29] There was four players who played in all 25 of the club's games.[28] Tom Hawkins was the club's leading goalkicker for the eighth successive season, scoring 56 goals.[30]

Playing list and statistics[28]
PlayerNo.GamesGoalsBehindsKicksHandballsDisposalsMarksTacklesMilestone(s)
Ryan Abbott45110561134
Gary Ablett424341829318948289108
Tom Atkins^30235412216228436110AFL debut (round 1)[31]
Jed Bews24123394351293330
Mark Blicavs46250318215433612490150th game (round 18)[32]
Oscar Brownless200
Wylie Buzza120
Jordan Clark618118171782497648AFL debut (round 1)[31]
Nakia Cockatoo50
Charlie Constable1875263871503126AFL debut (round 1)[31]
Jordan Cunico310
Luke Dahlhaus4024141617126243371115Geelong debut (round 1)[31]
Patrick Dangerfield35242718352298650119104
Mitch Duncan222320634024158117268200th game (round 21)[33]
Lachie Fogarty1320010919310
Darcy Fort283501672365AFL debut (round 9)[34]
Cameron Guthrie29201041911773687098150th game (round 14)[35]
Zach Guthrie^391001121351
Tom Hawkins2624563220310630912637250th game (round 19)[36]
Lachie Henderson25610532275298
Jack Henry382304175662419734
Ben Jarvis100
Jamaine Jones^410
Tim Kelly1125241838125463589106
Jacob Kennerley210
Jake Kolodjashnij823011678625310933
Nathan Kreuger150
Sam Menegola2712361271012285838
Gryan Miers322528192291563859848AFL debut (round 1)[31]
Quinton Narkle1965459441031418
Mark O'Connor42231019512732210461
Stefan Okunbor#430
Brandan Parfitt320441901743643910550th game (round 22)[37]
James Parsons34432451762169
Esava Ratugolea17201515103721755346
Gary Rohan23192511125371623734Geelong debut (round 1)[31]
Blake Schlensog#360
Joel Selwood1423662752144897994
Scott Selwood16211211738812
Sam Simpson^370
Zac Smith930016213778
Rhys Stanley118771381122505346
Tom Stewart4425024731075801854250th game (round 7)[38]
Jake Tarca330
Harry Taylor7243218614533111440250th game (round 14)[35]
Zach Tuohy218310252983507817
Key
^Denotes player who was on the club's standard rookie list, and therefore eligible for senior selection.
#Denotes Category B rookie where player needed to be elevated to club's senior list during this season to be eligible for senior selection.[39]

Season summary

Gryan Miers played his debut game in round one, and won Geelong's Best Young Player award for the season.

The fixture for the 2019 season was confirmed by the AFL in November 2018, with clubs playing 22 matches during the regular season and receiving a mid-season bye.[40][41] Geelong participated in the 2019 JLT Community Series as part of their pre-season schedule, playing in two games against West Coast and Essendon.[42]

Geelong began the regular season on 22 March against Collingwood at the MCG; despite featuring six new players in their team lineup, the Cats narrowly won the game by seven points.[43] This successful start to the season continued the following week, with Geelong winning against Melbourne by 80 points; both Collingwood and Melbourne reached the preliminary finals in the previous season.[44] After an away win against Adelaide in round 3, the Cats recorded their first loss for the season against Greater Western Sydney the next week.[45][46] Playing against arch-rival Hawthorn on Easter Monday, Geelong overcame match-day injuries to midfielder Brandan Parfitt and ruckman Esava Ratugolea to post a 23-point win.[47] This was the first of eight consecutive wins for the Cats, including a 58-point victory over reigning premier West Coast in round 6.[48] Geelong's score of 21.7 (133) against Western Bulldogs in round 9 was their highest of the season, with the Cats recording eleven individual goalkickers in their win.[49] Travelling to the MCG again in round 12, the Cats defeated Richmond by 67 points; the Tigers had won 26 of their 28 previous games at the venue.[50]

Gary Ablett in 2019.

The Cats' early season success was somewhat marred by a string of on-field incidents by Cats' player Gary Ablett, beginning when Ablett was offered a one-match suspension for striking Essendon midfielder Dylan Shiel with a forearm to the head in the Cats' round 7 win.[51] After successfully appealing the suspension at the AFL Tribunal, Ablett was involved in an almost identical incident the following week with North Melbourne's Sam Wright, but was not penalised.[51] A fortnight later, Ablett was suspended for the first time in his 331-game career when he accepted a one-match suspension for punching the jaw of Gold Coast midfielder Anthony Miles.[51] Heading into their bye in round 13, Geelong were placed first on the league's ladder with an 11–1 win–loss record; notably the Cats had played each team that had qualified for the previous season's final series.[46][50]

Geelong were defeated by Port Adelaide in their first match following their week off; it was the eighth consecutive year the Cats had lost after a mid-season bye.[52] This loss began a pattern where Geelong failed to record successive wins for the remainder of the home-and-away season, winning just five of ten matches.[53] All but one of the Cats' wins was at GMHBA Stadium; their sole away victory was against Sydney at the Sydney Cricket Ground in round 19, with Tom Hawkins scoring five goals in his 250th game.[54] Despite this inconsistent form, the Cats's still finished the regular season with a 16–6 win–loss record and placed first on the league's ladder, qualifying for the 2019 finals series and earning Geelong their first minor premiership since the 2008 season.[53]

Leading up to the finals series, Geelong had won just three of their 12 finals since their premiership win in 2011.[55] Geelong continued this poor finals form in their qualifying final against Collingwood, losing by 10 points.[56] Geelong defeated West Coast by 20 points in the following week's semi-final, progressing to the third week of the finals series as a result.[57] Geelong were subsequently defeated in a preliminary final against Richmond by 19 points, eliminating them before the 2019 AFL Grand Final.[58] It was the first time since the introduction of the final eight system that both of the regular season's top-two teams failed to reach the Grand Final, after second-placed Brisbane lost their semi-final against Greater Western Sydney.[59][60]

Results

Key
HHome game
AAway game
QFQualifying final
SFSemi-final
PFPreliminary final
Table of season results[61]
RoundDateResultScoreOpponentScoreGroundAttendanceLadder
GBTGBT
122 MarchWon101272Collingwood91165Melbourne Cricket GroundA78,0178th
230 MarchWon206126Melbourne61046GMHBA StadiumH27,5611st
34 AprilWon141599Adelaide101575Adelaide OvalA45,6311st
413 AprilLost11975Greater Western Sydney111379GMHBA StadiumH28,7801st
522 AprilWon1711113Hawthorn131290Melbourne Cricket GroundA66,3471st
628 AprilWon1514104West Coast7446GMHBA StadiumH28,0851st
75 MayWon13886Essendon71254Melbourne Cricket GroundH63,5271st
812 MayWon168104North Melbourne111480Marvel StadiumA21,1561st
918 MayWon217133Western Bulldogs131189GMHBA StadiumH31,3731st
1025 MayWon131391Gold Coast91064Metricon StadiumA13,1441st
111 JuneWon13785Sydney81563GMHBA StadiumH29,0211st
127 JuneWon168104Richmond5737Melbourne Cricket GroundA65,2141st
13 Bye1st
1422 JuneLost8856Port Adelaide91367Adelaide OvalA37,7261st
1528 JuneWon141296Adelaide10969GMHBA StadiumH28,1081st
166 JulyLost71355Western Bulldogs101171Marvel StadiumA35,6411st
1713 JulyWon121284St Kilda8957GMHBA StadiumH24,0351st
1821 JulyLost81361Hawthorn121385Melbourne Cricket GroundH53,6361st
1928 JulyWon1611107Sydney12880Sydney Cricket GroundA32,9111st
203 AugustLost9761Fremantle141195Optus StadiumA36,3101st
2110 AugustWon91569North Melbourne1814GMHBA StadiumH21,6641st
2217 AugustLost101474Brisbane Lions101575The GabbaA35,6082nd
2324 AugustWon1915129Carlton81361GMHBA StadiumH31,6691st
QF6 SeptemberLost7951Collingwood9761Melbourne Cricket GroundH93,436
SF13 SeptemberWon131088West Coast10868Melbourne Cricket GroundH51,813
PF20 SeptemberLost[nb 2]91266Richmond121385Melbourne Cricket GroundA94,423

Ladder

PosTeamPldWLDPFPAPPPtsQualification
1Geelong22166019841462135.764Finals series
2Brisbane Lions22166020041694118.364
3Richmond (P)22166018921664113.764
4Collingwood22157018851601117.760
5West Coast22157019021691112.560
6Greater Western Sydney22139019261669115.452
7Western Bulldogs221210019411810107.248
8Essendon22121001702178495.448
9Hawthorn221111017421602108.744
10Port Adelaide221111018061714105.444
11Adelaide221012017761761100.940
12North Melbourne22101201824183499.540
13Fremantle2291301579171891.936
14St Kilda2291301645196183.936
15Sydney2281401706174697.732
16Carlton2271501609190584.528
17Melbourne2251701569199578.620
18Gold Coast2231901351223260.512
Source: AFL Tables[62]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Reserves team

The club's reserves team, participating in the VFL, was coached by Shane O'Bree for a fourth season.[2] Aaron Black and James Tsitas were appointed co-captains, replacing Tom Atkins after he was rookie-listed in the senior team.[63]

The reserves team finished the regular season with a 11–7 win–loss record and placed sixth on the league's ladder, qualifying for the finals series as a result.[64] Geelong was subsequently defeated in an elimination final by Port Melbourne.[65]

Awards

Patrick Dangerfield won the Carji Greeves Medal for 2019.

Geelong held their player awards night at Crown Palladium on 3 October, with former player Doug Wade presenting the club's best and fairest award, the Carji Greeves Medal.[66][67] The award was won by Patrick Dangerfield, who received 268 votes; runner-up Tim Kelly polled 259.5 votes, with Tom Stewart in third place on 151 votes.[66] It was Dangerfield's third Carji Greeves Medal, having previously won the award in 2016 and 2017.[68] Additionally, Scott Selwood received the Tom Harley Award, for best representing the club's values, and Tom Hawkins was presented with the Community Champion award.[66] Gryan Miers was named the club's Best Young Player.[66]

Dangerfield, Kelly, Hawkins and Stewart were all selected in the honorary 2019 All-Australian team.[69] Teammates Gary Ablett and Mark Blicavs were initially shortlisted but ultimately not selected in the final team.[70] Kelly also received the AFL Coaches Association's Best Young Player award.[71] Geelong had three players, Charlie Constable (round two), Miers (round eight) and Jordan Clark (round fifteen), who were nominated for the season's Rising Star award.[72][73][74]

Table of awards received by Geelong players
AwardAwarded byPlayerResultRef.
All-Australian teamAustralian Football LeagueGary AblettShortlisted[69]
[70]
Mark BlicavsShortlisted
Patrick DangerfieldSelected
Tom HawkinsSelected
Tim KellySelected
Tom StewartSelected
AFL Rising StarJordan ClarkNominated[74]
Charlie ConstableNominated[72]
Gryan MiersNominated[73]
Leigh Matthews Trophy for Most Valuable PlayerAFL Players AssociationMark BlicavsNominated[75]
Tom HawkinsNominated
Tim KellyNominated
Best CaptainJoel SelwoodNominated
Robert Rose Award for Most Courageous PlayerNominated
Best First Year PlayerJordan ClarkNominated
Best Young PlayerAFL Coaches AssociationTim KellyWon[71]
Carji Greeves MedalGeelong Football ClubPatrick DangerfieldWon[66]
Best Young PlayerGryan MiersWon
Tom Harley AwardScott SelwoodWon
Community ChampionTom HawkinsWon
VFL best and fairestSam SimpsonWon[76]

See also

Notes

References