2024 Geelong Football Club season

Season summary

It was the club's 14th AFL season under senior coach Chris Scott, with Patrick Dangerfield continuing as club captain.^[14]

With the unveiling of the Joel Selwood Stand and the completion of stadium redevelopments,^[15] the crowd of 39,352 for the Geelong's home opener against St Kilda was the largest crowd for a VFL/AFL match at GMHBA Stadium since 1981.^[16]

In contrast to 2023, Geelong started the season with three straight wins, celebrating Tom Hawkins' 350th AFL match with a victory over Hawthorn at the MCG on Easter Monday. That match was interrupted by an approximately 40 minute delay before the start of the final quarter due to nearby lightning.^[17][18]

The winning streak extended to seven matches, the club's best start to the season since the 2013 season.^[19]

The attendance of 87,775 at the club's round 7 designated home match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was the highest in club history.^[20]

The club's four match losing streak from rounds 8 to 11 was the first time the team had lost four straight matches during the tenure of Chris Scott.^[21]

In round 12, club stalwart Tom Hawkins broke former captain Joel Selwood's 355-game record for the most number of matches played for the club.^[22][23][24]

In the final round of the home and away season, the team climbed to third position on the ladder with a dominant 93-point win over West Coast, headlined by Jeremy Cameron's career high of nine goals for the match.^[25]

At the AFL Awards in late August, Oliver Dempsey won the Ron Evans Medal as the AFL Rising Star to become the second Geelong player to win that award after Joel Selwood in 2007.^[26][27] Jeremy Cameron was selected in the 2024 All-Australian team at centre-half forward after kicking 58 goals for the season to finish second in the Coleman Medal standings.^[28]

Pre-season

Geelong started the season with a match simulation game against Carlton at Ikon Park on 22 February, emerging as 17-point winners 10.13 (74) to 8.8 (56) in sweltering conditions. Cameron Guthrie suffered a quad injury in the opening minutes of the match, not returning to the field for the rest of the day.^[29]

Geelong played an official practice match as part of the AFL's Community Series against Essendon at GMHBA Stadium on 1 March 2024,^[30][31] scoring five goals in the last quarter to come from behind to win 11.17 (83) to 10.11 (71).^[32][33]

Coaching staff

Chris Scott continued as the club's men's senior coach for a fourteenth season, having signed a two-year contract extension until the end of the 2024 season.^[34]

Assistant coach Shaun Grigg departed the club following the 2023 season, having joined the Gold Coast.^[35] Development coach Josh Jenkins also departed the club,^[36] as well as fellow development coach Daisy Pearce who was appointed head coach of the West Coast Eagles (AFL Women's).^[37] Matthew Egan also left the club after being hired by the Western Bulldogs,^[38] with Nigel Lappin replacing him as the head of player development.^[39]

Former Geelong player and life member James Rahilly joined the coaching staff as an assistant coach, returning to the club after three seasons with Adelaide,^[40] and joining Rahilly in returning to Geelong, former Geelong captain and 2007 premiership ruckman Steven King joined the coaching staff as an assistant coach. King had been the interim head coach at the Gold Coast during the 2023 season.^[41]

Playing list

Results

More information Round, Date ...

Table of 2024 AFL season results^[52]

Round	Date	Result	Score			Opponent	Score			Ground		Attendance	Ladder
			G	B	T		G	B	T
OR	Bye												—N/a
1	16 March	Won	10	16	76	St Kilda	9	14	68	GMHBA Stadium	H	39,352[53]	9th
2	22 March	Won	14	12	96	Adelaide	11	11	77	Adelaide Oval	A	44,758[54]	6th
3	1 April	Won	17	4	106	Hawthorn	10	10	70	Melbourne Cricket Ground	A	67,020[17]	4th
4	6 April	Won	14	11	95	Western Bulldogs	14	7	91	Adelaide Oval	N	45,970[55]	5th
5	14 April	Won	21	13	139	North Melbourne	10	4	64	GMHBA Stadium	H	31,194[56]	2nd
6	20 April	Won	9	9	63	Brisbane Lions	4	13	37	The Gabba	A	30,429[57]	1st
7	27 April	Won	18	10	118	Carlton	15	15	105	Melbourne Cricket Ground	H	87,775[20]	1st
8	4 May	Lost	9	12	66	Melbourne	10	14	74	Melbourne Cricket Ground	A	51,795[58]	2nd
9	10 May	Lost	14	11	95	Port Adelaide	15	11	101	GMHBA Stadium	H	29,942[59]	2nd
10	16 May	Lost	15	10	100	Gold Coast	26	8	164	TIO Stadium	A	12,112[60]	3rd
11	25 May	Lost	11	8	74	Greater Western Sydney	11	12	78	GMHBA Stadium	H	30,821[21]	6th
12	1 June	Won	15	9	99	Richmond	10	9	69	GMHBA Stadium	H	31,054[61]	3rd
13	9 June	Lost	12	10	82	Sydney	16	16	112	Sydney Cricket Ground	A	44,714[62]	5th
14	Bye												6th
15	21 June	Lost	11	9	75	Carlton	21	12	138	Melbourne Cricket Ground	A	75,218[63]	7th
16	29 June	Won	16	9	105	Essendon	9	6	60	Melbourne Cricket Ground	H	54,698[64]	5th
17	6 July	Won	16	14	110	Hawthorn	9	5	59	GMHBA Stadium	H	33,188[65]	5th
18	12 July	Won	13	13	91	Collingwood	10	11	71	Melbourne Cricket Ground	A	73,435[66]	3rd
19	20 July	Lost	7	6	48	Western Bulldogs	13	17	95	GMHBA Stadium	H	27,967[67]	6th
20	27 July	Won	16	10	106	North Melbourne	10	6	66	Blundstone Arena	A	10,045	6th
21	3 August	Won	13	12	90	Adelaide	13	7	85	GMHBA Stadium	H	28,939[68]	5th
22	10 August	Won	10	13	73	Fremantle	9	8	62	Optus Stadium	A	50,600[69]	4th
23	17 August	Lost	14	5	89	St Kilda	16	11	107	Marvel Stadium	A	31,945[70]	4th
24	24 August	Won	26	12	168	West Coast	11	9	75	GMHBA Stadium	H	32,545	3rd
QF	5 September	Won	20	18	138	Port Adelaide	7	12	54	Adelaide Oval	A	50,342	—
PF	21 September	Lost	12	13	85	Brisbane Lions	14	11	95	Melbourne Cricket Ground	N	93,066[71]

Close

Ladder

Awards

Season summary

Team stalwart Dan Capiron was appointed captain, with Brayden Ham as vice-captain.^[78] Ham would step away from VFL-level football in the first month of the season.^[79]

The club finished in fourth position on the ladder after the home-and-away season, with 12 wins and a draw from their 18 matches. The team would use 55 players across the season, with captain Capiron the only player to appear in every match.^[80]

In the first week of the finals, Geelong were defeated by minor premiers Werribee by 21 points in blustery conditions at Avalon Airport Oval.^[81] The following week the team was eliminated from the finals after losing by 29 points against the Southport Sharks.^[82] Club senior record games holder Tom Hawkins made his first appearance for the VFL team since the 2011 season, returning from injury to kick a goal in what was his final appearance at GMHBA Stadium.^[83]

Mitch Hardie was named to the VFL Team of the Year, earning a position on the half-forward flank. Hardie kicked 14 goals for the season and averaged 29 disposals per match. Ted Clohesy had been named to the initial squad in consideration for the VFL Team of the Year,^[84][85] but missed out on final selection.^[86] Hardie also finished fourth in voting for the VFL's J.J. Liston Trophy with 19 votes,^[87] while winning the club's VFL best and fairest award.^[80]

Results

Ladder

Awards

• VFL Team of the Year: Mitch Hardie (forward)^[87][90][86]

Season summary

Meg McDonald continued as captain, with Nina Morrison and Becky Webster as vice-captains. Three-time best and fairest winner Amy McDonald joined the leadership group for the first time, alongside Chantel Emonson and Mikayla Bowen.^[93]

After making the preliminary finals in 2023, Geelong were again expected to make the finals in 2024. However the team got off to a slow start, only winning one of their opening six matches, although they did earn two premiership points from a draw against 2023 grand finalists North Melbourne. Forward Chloe Scheer missed the entire season due to injury, while replacement player Lilly Pearce who was expected to fill the void from the retired Erin Hoare also didn't play a match due to injury.^[94]

Irish key forward Aishling Moloney had a standout season, kicking 21 goals to share the AFL Women's leading goalkicker award with Brisbane's Taylor Smith. Moloney and Morrison would also gain selection in the initial squad for the 2024 AFL Women's All-Australian team,^[95] with Moloney selected in the final squad at centre-half forward.^[96][97] Moloney would also receive nine votes in the 2024 AFL Women's best and fairest award count.^[98]

The team's best win came in week 8 when they defeated the reigning premiers Brisbane at GMHBA Stadium by 10 points. Disappointingly Geelong was held goalless for the first time in their loss to Carlton in week 3.^[94]

Nina Morrison won the club's best and fairest award with 138 votes, ahead of Aishling Moloney (98 votes) and 2023 winner Georgie Prespakis (74 votes). Playing a midfield role, Morrison averaged 20.8 disposals, 7.1 tackles and 3.9 clearances per match, also kicking five goals for the season.^{[99][100][101][102]}

Following the end of the season, Irish defender Anna-Rose Kennedy made the decision to return to Ireland for personal reasons.^[103][104]

Pre season

Before the start of the season in late August, the club participated in two preseason fixtures. The first a match simulation against Collingwood at Olympic Park Oval was played on 10 August, which Geelong won 4.5 (29) to 3.6 (24); that was followed on 17 August by an official practice match against Essendon at Windy Hill, where the club was defeated 3.5 (23) to 4.9 (33).^{[105][106][107]}

Coaching staff

Daniel Lowther continued as head coach of the AFLW program for a fourth season.^[108] Continuing as assistant coaches were Andrew Bruce (forwards), Josh Finch (midfield), and Geelong VFL Women's coach Elise Coventry (defence). Current men's team player Gary Rohan, former Geelong VFL player Will Sexton, continued as development coaches and were joined by Andrew Allthorpe.^[109]

Playing list

Results

More information Round, Date ...

Table of season results^[119]

Round	Date	Result	Score			Opponent	Score			Ground		Attendance	Ladder
			G	B	T		G	B	T
1	31 August	Lost	6	4	40	Melbourne	6	6	42	GMHBA Stadium	H	3,838	11th
2	8 September	Draw	5	6	36	North Melbourne	5	6	36	Arden Street Oval	A	3,019[120]	15th
3	14 September	Lost	0	5	5	Carlton	4	5	29	Ikon Park	A	2,417[121]	15th
4	21 September	Won	15	6	96	Gold Coast	4	3	27	People First Stadium	A	1,612[122]	12th
5	26 September	Lost	9	7	61	Hawthorn	12	7	79	GMHBA Stadium	H	2,771[123]	15th
6	1 October	Lost	3	9	27	Fremantle	6	9	45	GMHBA Stadium	H	2,033[124]	16th
6	6 October	Won	5	14	44	Sydney	6	5	41	Henson Park	A	3,127[125]	11th
7	12 October	Lost	5	9	39	Richmond	6	10	46	Swinburne Centre	A	2,455[126]	13th
8	20 October	Won	7	5	47	Brisbane	5	7	37	GMHBA Stadium	H	2,850[127]	12th
9	26 October	Won	9	2	56	West Coast	3	5	23	Mineral Resources Park	A	2,015[128]	10th
10	1 November	Lost	4	4	28	Adelaide	4	8	32	GMHBA Stadium	H	2,233[129]	10th

Close

Ladder

Awards

Season summary

Before the start of the 2024 VFL Women's season, Geelong nominated Abby Favell, Liv Stewart and Poppy Schaap as a three-person leadership group with no formal captain or vice-captain roles.^[133]

Geelong were held goalless for the third (round 2), fourth (round 8), and fifth (round 12) times in the club's history in the VFLW, registering their lowest score of 0.1 (1) against Collingwood at Deakin University Elite Sports Precinct.

It was a disappointing campaign for the club, with the team finishing last on the ladder with just three wins for the season. 49 players would play at least one match for the team, including 31 debutants.

Midfielder Lily Jordan won the best and fairest award with 57 votes, ahead of Breanna Pratt and Poppy Schaap. Molly Walton was awarded the Hoops Award which was presented in the VFLW program for the first time, while Mia Fuller won the player-voted Cats Value Award.^[134]

Results

Ladder

Awards