Soccer in Geelong

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Soccer in Geelong, Australia dates as far back as the late 1800s where mostly British migrants during the early colonization of the Victorian gold rush participated in a variety of ball games similar to British Association rules (soccer) and rugby. British migrants employed at the emerging industries took part in formal games in Geelong from at least 1914 when the Geelong City club was formed.[1]

After World War I interrupted the establishment of the game in the region, a huge influx of the British migrants and the burgeoning industrial sector in Geelong aided the creation of the Geelong and District Soccer League in 1926. The 1930s saw the economic depression curtail recreational sport as jobs and employment take precedent. Following World War II, the arrival of European migrants, mainly from Britain and the Netherlands, helped to transform football in the Geelong region. The emergence of new multicultural football clubs helped to drive the game through from the 1970s to the 1990s.[2]

In the early 2000s, strong population growth, growing football participation, and the mainstream acceptance of the game established a new dynamic of football in the region. Four new clubs emerged in the Bellarine Peninsula region of Geelong from 2000 to 2009.

Football Geelong Region is the governing body for the game in the region, run by the Geelong Regional Football Committee (GRFC) and Football Victoria.

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