Geelong Cats

What Geelong Cats does

Geelong Football Club, operating as Geelong Cats, is a private, member-owned professional Australian rules football club founded in 1857 and headquartered at GMHBA Stadium (Kardinia Park) in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The club fields teams across the AFL, AFLW, VFL, and VFLW competitions, making it one of the oldest clubs in the AFL and one of the oldest football clubs in the world. Geelong has won multiple premierships — in 1925, 1963, 2009, 2011, and 2022 — and reached the 2025 AFL Grand Final, with a Hall of Fame featuring Legend-status inductees such as Gary Ablett Jr alongside Joel Selwood and Mark Thompson.

The club operates a multi-channel digital ecosystem including an official mobile application on iOS and Android, four podcast series (To The Final Bell, Cats Corner, Yeah The Girls, Legends of Kardinia Park), an e-commerce merchandise store (Cats Shop Online), a history and content archive featuring the Time Cat-Sule video series, and a Health Hub injury-tracking information portal. Core products and revenue streams comprise six primary lines: tiered membership subscriptions (including the recently launched Cats Collective), Ticketmaster-mediated match-day ticketing across all four competitions, merchandise sales, corporate sponsorship anchored by principal partner Ford (in a 100-year relationship since 1925) alongside major partner Simonds Homes and an elite tier including GMHBA, Deakin University, Morris Finance, Yeti, JD Sports, Dulux, Gatorade, and McCafe, premium corporate hospitality at GMHBA Stadium, and community/foundation programs including the Next Generation Academy, Indigenous development, regional community camps, and a partnership with The Resilience Project.

Geelong's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with a horizontal segmentation approach that targets both AFL/AFLW supporters and members as the primary consumer segment and a portfolio of corporate partners as the secondary business segment. The club is governed by a Board of Directors and executive leadership including CEO Steve Hocking, COO Marcus King, CFO Shannon Gordon, Chief Customer Officer Hayley Kirkpatrick, and Executive General Managers covering football, people experience, and brand/stadium experience. Operationally, the club competes nationally through the AFL competition while drawing strong regional support from the Geelong and greater Victorian corridor.

Name

Geelong Cats

Legal name

Geelong Football Club Limited ACN 005 150 818

Website

https://geelongcats.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1857

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Geelong Cats is a private, member-owned Australian rules football club founded in 1857, competing in the AFL, AFLW, VFL, and VFLW at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong. The club generates revenue from memberships, sponsorships, match-day operations, merchandise, and corporate hospitality for fans and corporate partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Club

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Winter Sports Teams/Clubs (Ski, Snowboard, Bobsleigh, etc.) (MPAKABAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Team Sports Matches (Club & National) (MPAGAMAB)

Keywords

• Professional sports club
• Australian rules football
• Match day entertainment
• Sports membership program
• Football merchandise retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Geelong

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership: The club generates revenue through various membership tiers including Cats Collective membership, offering exclusive access and benefits to supporters.
2. Ticket Sales: Revenue from match-day ticket sales through Ticketmaster for AFL, AFLW, VFL, and VFLW games at GMHBA Stadium.
3. Merchandise: The Cats Shop online store sells official merchandise including guernseys, apparel, and accessories.
4. Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship arrangements with principal partner Ford, major partner Simonds Homes, and elite partners including GMHBA, Deakin, Morris Finance, Yeti, and JD Sports.
5. Corporate Hospitality: Premium match-day experiences and corporate hospitality packages offered to businesses and sponsors.
6. Foundation and Community Programs: Community engagement initiatives supported by the Geelong Cats Foundation, including donations and partnerships with charitable organizations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Geelong Football Club, trading as Geelong Cats, operates a professional Australian rules football club fielding senior men's AFL, women's AFLW, VFL and VFLW teams. The club generates revenue through tiered fan memberships, match-day ticketing at GMHBA Stadium, official licensed merchandise via the Cats Shop Online, corporate hospitality and sponsorship packages, and community programs delivered through the Geelong Cats Foundation.

Product overview

The Geelong Cats operates a multi-channel digital ecosystem featuring a unified mobile application, podcast series (To The Final Bell, Cats Corner, Yeah The Girls, Legends of Kardinia Park), e-commerce shop, and membership platform. The digital portfolio includes content platforms such as the History archive with Time Cat-Sule video series and the Cats Health Hub injury tracking service, alongside venue experience services at GMHBA Stadium. The club recently launched the Cats Collective membership tier and maintains an active community foundation program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Geelong Cats Membership Program Recurring tiered fan membership program providing ticket access (including finals priority), member-only events, merchandise discounts, and digital content access; targeted at individual AFL supporters in the Greater Geelong region and beyond.
• Match-Day Ticket Bookings at GMHBA Stadium Single-match and multi-match ticketed access to AFL, AFLW, VFL and VFLW home games at GMHBA Stadium, distributed through the club and partners such as Ticketmaster.
• Cats Shop Online (Official Merchandise Store) Direct-to-consumer e-commerce store selling officially licensed Geelong Cats apparel, guernseys and merchandise to supporters.
• Corporate Hospitality Packages Premium match-day hospitality experiences at GMHBA Stadium (corporate boxes, dining, function spaces) sold to business customers for client entertainment and staff engagement.
• Corporate Sponsorship Partnerships Multi-year sponsorship rights and brand-asset packages sold to corporate partners, providing signage, content, and fan-reach exposure across the club's channels and match-day inventory.
• Geelong Cats Foundation Community Programs Charitable and community programs operated by the Geelong Cats Foundation (health, education, community outreach) supported through fundraising, donations and player-led initiatives.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, elite and minor.

• FordcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Ford is the Principal Partner of Geelong Cats, celebrating 100 years of partnership in 2025 - one of the longest relationships in Australian sport. Ford's partnership includes jersey sponsorship, major event sponsorship, and joint community initiatives.
• Simonds HomescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSimonds Homes serves as the Major Partner of Geelong Cats, providing residential construction expertise and community engagement opportunities.
• GMHBAeliteGTM or Marketing PartnerGMHBA is an Elite Partner and the naming rights sponsor of GMHBA Stadium. They also sponsor the Health Hub section of the website and provide health updates for players.
• Deakin UniversityeliteGTM or Marketing PartnerDeakin University is an Elite Partner of the Geelong Cats. The partnership includes support for sports science initiatives and community programs.
• Morris FinanceeliteGTM or Marketing PartnerMorris Finance is an Elite Partner of Geelong Cats and presenter of press conferences and match-day coverage.
• YetieliteGTM or Marketing PartnerYeti, the global leaders in premium outdoor gear, became the official AFL guernsey neckline partner of Geelong Cats.
• DuluxeliteGTM or Marketing PartnerDulux extended their partnership until 2028 and sponsors the Community Bay program, which hosts local organizations at home games.
• TelstraminorOthersTelstra is credited as the website creator and provides network infrastructure. The AFL website notes Telstra as Australia's best network.
• TicketmastercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTicketmaster serves as the ticketing platform for Geelong Cats matches, providing ticket sales through their platform.
• GatoradeeliteGTM or Marketing PartnerGatorade sponsors the Yeah The Girls AFLW podcast and provides Fast Twitch Energy Drink sponsorship.
• McCafeeliteGTM or Marketing PartnerMcCafe presents the Legends of Kardinia Park podcast series featuring interviews with club legends.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Richmond Tigers: Historic Victorian AFL club with multiple recent premierships and a strong membership-led commercial model. Highly comparable in scale, sponsorship mix, and member-owned governance.
• Collingwood Magpies: One of the largest and most historic AFL clubs, with a similarly diversified membership, sponsorship, and match-day revenue model. Directly comparable as a member-owned AFL club competing for the same fan base and corporate sponsorships.
• Hawthorn Hawks: Historic, premiership-rich AFL club with strong sponsorship portfolio and multi-team structure (AFL/AFLW/VFL). Directly comparable in business model, revenue streams, and on-field premium positioning.
• Carlton Blues: Foundational AFL club with large Melbourne membership base and multi-tier football operations. Direct peer on revenue mix, sponsorship stack, and brand heritage.
• Melbourne Demons: AFL and AFLW operator based in Melbourne with similar membership, sponsorship, and stadium-match-day economics. Comparable as a member-owned AFL club fielding men's and women's teams.
• Essendon Bombers: Historic Victorian AFL club with a large corporate partnership portfolio and AFL/AFLW teams. Direct peer in business model and competitive landscape.
• Brisbane Lions: Multi-team AFL/AFLW/VFL club operating in a non-Melbourne market, with comparable commercial mix and a focus on regional fan development. Closely comparable as an AFL club with a strong interstate footprint.
• Western Bulldogs: Melbourne-based AFL/AFLW/VFLW club with strong community programs and membership-driven revenue model. Comparable in scale, governance, and community-engagement emphasis.
• North Melbourne Kangaroos: AFL/AFLW club with multi-tier structure and a significant community and Next Generation–style development focus. Directly comparable as a member-owned AFL club.
• Sydney Swans: Non-Victorian AFL club with strong corporate partnership stack and a large member base outside Melbourne. Comparable as an AFL club competing nationally with a premium match-day and membership model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GeelongCats
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GeelongCatsTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/Geelong.Cats
• Instagraminstagram.com/geelongcats
• TikToktiktok.com/@geelongcats?lang=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Geelong Cats