2025 Geelong Football Club season

The 2025 Geelong Football Club season was the club's 161st season playing Australian rules football, with the club competing in their 126th season in the Australian Football League (AFL). Geelong continued to field a women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition, and men's and women's reserves teams in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and the VFL Women's (VFLW) respectively.

After finishing second on the ladder, the AFL team progressed through to the club's 20th Grand Final, losing to the Brisbane Lions by 47 points in the 2025 AFL Grand Final.

Grant McCabe was officially appointed as president of the club at the annual general meeting held in December 2024. Lyndsay Sharpe was elected as vice president.

Tyson Stengle and Lawson Humphries were selected in the Indigenous All-Stars squad for the preseason exhibition match against Fremantle. Stengle kicked a goal, while Humphries was named among the All-Stars best players in their 43-point win.

In March it was reported that Geelong and other clubs were being audited regarding third-party player payments. The audit coming after the club was investigated over the arrangement Chris Scott had with sponsor Morris Finance.

In early September, the club welcomed current Australia national cricket team coach Andrew McDonald to the board of directors. McDonald had been associated with the club since 2016.

The club increased their membership numbers, setting a new record of 92,379 members an increase of 1,581 from 2024.

Following the end of the AFL's audit, the club was fined A$77,500 (with A$40,000 suspended) for a "series of 'non-disclosures or late disclosures' of arrangements with club associates and third parties. Non-disclosures found in Geelong's AFLW program were found to be administrative errors, rather than 'material breaches.' The audit found Geelong did not breach the AFL salary cap or player movement rules.

The club celebrated the 100th year of the sponsorship partnership with Ford Australia by wearing a one-off guernsey featuring the Ford blue and a modified club logo. The guernsey (seen here on Ollie Henry) was worn against Melbourne in round 4.

It was the club's 15th AFL season under senior coach Chris Scott, with Patrick Dangerfield continuing as club captain.

The club was due to play in the season opening match at The Gabba against reigning premiers Brisbane Lions, but the match was postponed on 4 March due to the impact of Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred on the South East Queensland region. On 7 March, the AFL announced that the match would be played during round 3 of the season.

View of the MCG during the round 6 match against Hawthorn. The attendance of 88,746 set a new record as the highest attended home-and-away season match involving the club.

In the round 6 match against Hawthorn at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the club's record for largest attendance at a home and away match was broken. 88,746 attended the match won by seven points by Geelong, eclipsing the previous mark set in 2010 against Collingwood.

In round 20 against North Melbourne, forward Jeremy Cameron kicked a career high 11 goals to become the first Geelong player since Gary Ablett Sr. in 1994 to score more than 10 goals in a match.

Geelong finished the home and away season with six straight victories to qualify for the 2025 AFL finals series in second position on the ladder behind minor premiers Adelaide. Following two dominate finals performances against the Brisbane Lions and Hawthorn, the team qualified for the 2025 AFL Grand Final, the 20th time the club would play in the premiership deciding match. The attendance of 99,567 for the 30-point preliminary final victory against Hawthorn was the highest non-Grand Final attended Geelong match since 1969. It was also the biggest non-Grand Final attendance at the MCG since 1971.

Club vice-captain Tom Stewart was forced to miss the Grand Final after suffering a concussion as a result of a heavy tackle by Mabior Chol during the first quarter of the preliminary final.

Midfielder Bailey Smith finished third in the Brownlow Medal count, polling a career-best 29 votes behind winner Matt Rowell. Smith earned votes in 13 matches including six best-on-ground performances. Geelong finished the night with the most votes among the clubs, with 13 players receiving 99 total votes. Young defender Connor O'Sullivan finished fifth in the 2025 AFL Rising Star Award following his strong season after appearing in 24 matches.

Geelong started the season with a match simulation game against Hawthorn at GMHBA Stadium on 17 February, winning 15.16 (106) to 13.8 (86), with Ollie Henry kicking four goals.

Geelong played an official practice match as part of the AFL's Community Series against Essendon at GMHBA Stadium on 25 February. After a tight first three quarters, Essendon kicked clear in the final quarter to win 17.2 (104) to Geelong 12.11 (83) in front of a crowd of 11,626.

Chris Scott continued as the club's men's senior coach for a 15th season, having signed a contract extension until the end of the 2026 season. Scott coached his 350th match against Richmond in round 18.

Assistant coach Steven King was appointed as the 28th coach of the Melbourne Football Club in September, but continued with his role at Geelong until the end of the season.

Updated to end of season

Jeremy Cameron won his second Coleman Medal after kicking a career high 83 goals during the home and away season.

• Coleman Medal: Jeremy Cameron (83 goals)

• All-Australian:

  • Jeremy Cameron (Forward — captain)
  • Bailey Smith (Midfield)

• AFL Coaches Association — Champion Player: Bailey Smith (103 votes)

• AFL Coaches Association — Best Young Player Award: Shaun Mannagh

• 2025 AFL Rising Star: Connor O'Sullivan (Nominee – Round 2)

• AFLPA 22 Under 22 team: Oliver Dempsey (Interchange)

• Carji Greeves Medal: Max Holmes (175 votes)

• Best Young Player Award: Connor O'Sullivan

• Tom Harley Best Clubman: Tom Atkins and Mark Blicavs

• Carter Family Community Champion Award: Shaun Mannagh

Mark Corrigan continued as coach of the club's VFL program for a third season, with Dan Capiron continuing as captain. Marcus Herbert was appointed as vice-captain.

In March, after returning to the club for the 2025 season, Nathan Kreuger was selected in the initial 43-player squad for the VFL State Team to play the SANFL State Team in April. He would be named at centre-halfback in the VFL's 11-point victory.

Capiron played his 100th VFL match for the club in the round 2 match against Northern Bullants.

The team's campaign was bookended by three-match winning streaks, but a six-match losing streak through the middle of the season proved costly. Geelong missed the VFL finals series by one win and percentage.

Ian Fuller was honoured at the VFL Awards night, taking out the Alex Gillon VFL Volunteer of the Year award. Fuller's late father Vic Fuller had previously won the same award in 2015.

• Best and Fairest: Marcus Herbert
• Little Vic Award (Best first year player): Patrick Kelly

In February the head of the club's AFLW program Brett Johnson departed the club, with his replacement announced as Dominique Condo in April. Condo joined the club from Richmond having previously worked with Geelong from 2015 to 2021 in a number of roles.

The team played two preseason fixtures in July and August, defeating St Kilda at RSEA Stadium in a match simulation 8.11 (59) to 4.5 (29) on 26 July. Their official practice match was against Gold Coast at People First Stadium on 2 August, with the Cats tuning up for the season with a 10.7 (67) to 1.3 (9) victory.

Before the club's final round match against Melbourne, captain Meg McDonald announced that she would retired at the end of the season. McDonald had played over 70 matches for the club after joining the club ahead of Geelong's inaugural season in 2019.

Georgie Prespakis won her second club best and fairest award, polling 185 votes. Prespakis averaged over 25 disposals per match and led the league for total clearances. Finishing behind Prespakis in the votes was Nina Morrison (110 votes) and Mikayla Bowen (76 votes).

In the league's major awards, Prespakis would finish third in the AFL Coaches' Association AFLW Champion Player of the Year, and second in the 2025 AFL Women's best and fairest award behind North Melbourne's Ashleigh Riddell. Prespakis was named on the interchange bench in the 2025 AFL Women's All-Australian team, her second selection to the team of the year. Selected in the wider All Australian squad, but missing out on the final team selection were Mikayla Bowen and Aishling Moloney.

Daniel Lowther continued as head coach of the AFLW program for a fifth season. It would be his final season in the role after he stepped down from the position at the end of the 2025 season.

Tennille Cuttiford was appointed as the program's High Performance Manager, while former player Renee Garing was appointed as Player Development Manager.

Continuing as assistant coaches were Andrew Bruce (forwards) and Elise Coventry (defence). Joining the club in 2025 as midfield coach is Nathan Brown who after retiring from the AFL has been involved in coaching and the football pathways program at Geelong College.

Current men's team player Tom Atkins joined the coaching staff as a development coach.

Updated as at the end of the 2025 season

• 2025 AFL Women's All-Australian team: Georgie Prespakis (interchange)

• AFLPA 22 Under 22 team: Georgie Prespakis (midfield) (vice captain)

• Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award: Kate Darby

• Best and fairest: Georgie Prespakis

• The 'Hoops' Award: Meg McDonald

• Community Champion: Kate Darby

Following an unsuccessful 2024 season, the club appointed Taylah Hassett as the new head coach of the VFL Women's team. Hassett (aged 22 when hired) was previously an AFL Barwon Female Football premiership winning playing-coach with the Grovedale Football Club.

Melanie Staunton was appointed captain of the squad, with Abby Favell as vice-captain.

In March, Poppy Schaap was selected in the 50-player squad for the VFL Women's representative match against the SANFL Women's competition, but was not selected in the final team.

The team improved in the second half of the season to win three of their final six matches to avoid a second successive wooden spoon.

Both Abby Favell and Hayley Peck were included in the initial 30-player squad for the 2025 VFLW Team of the Year. Favell kicked five goals in her 14 matches for the season, averaging almost 22 disposals per game, while Peck scored two goals in her 14 matches, averaging 15 disposals per match and over 23 hitouts. Neither player would be selected for the final VFLW Team of the Year.

• Best and Fairest: Hayley Peck

• Official website of the Geelong Football Club