The Record Records

Having read this article on the GFC website, I was compelled to delve into the record books. With my trusty deerstalker and magnifying glass, I was pleased to find that not only do Geelong famously hold the record for highest score in a VFL/AFL match, but they hold many other lesser known records. Here are some records you might not have heard of…

Geelong hold the record for most home and away games won in a row in one day. One. Interestingly, this record is held by every other VFL/AFL club, which is also a record for most number of clubs to hold a record for one record.

Geelong hold the record for least number of Day Premierships won in a year. Zero. This is also a shared record, but a number of teams have achieved this feat more often than the Cats. Fremantle and The Gold Coast have never not achieved this feat.

Since the recording of official statistics began in 1987, Geelong players have never conceded a free kick for taking munitions onto the playing arena. Several statisticians have implied that Geelong were notorious for doing this before 1987, but as official statistics were not tracked, this cannot be confirmed.

It is well known that Geelong holds the record for most consecutive games won, but it is often forgotten that it is also the highest prime number of games won.

In 2012, Geelong will share the record, along with the Gold Coast Suns and Greater Western Sydney Giants, for the highest number of teams starting with the same letter. This is disputed by fans of the three C’s: Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon*.

The Geelong Football Club are the only club to have a theme song based on a piece of Opera. It could be argued that Fremantle’s song is based on Opera, but as it is such a terrible song (objectively), the record officially becomes the Catters.

Geelong’s recent run of success has led to a number of streaks, including most consecutive games won at a ground (26 and counting), and most consecutive games won at Skilled Stadium (26). It is also the most consecutive games won in the city of Geelong (26) and the most consecutive games won in Victoria in cities other than Melbourne, and probably a number of other cities. Geelong have also won a lot of games at Etihad which is not really that far from Geelong.

Geelong hold the record for the longest ongoing sporting sponsorship in the known universe (having been sponsored by Ford since the wheel was invented), but they also have the record for shortest sponsorship. Baytec bought the naming rights to Kardinia Park in the early 2000’s, but never paid a cent to the club, who promptly changed the name to Sholl Stadium after the great Brad Sholl.

Finally, Geelong hold the record for most number of records in VFL/AFL history, proving definitively that they are, objectively of course, the greatest team of all.

Please note: many scholars assert that the most important record is most number of premierships won, but as many teams, including Collingwood and Hawthorn have won more flags than Geelong, the author has exercised his right to omit that one. Nar nar na nar nar.

* Credit for that line goes to Mark Fine.

About Edward Harcourt

I'm 31 and I love the Cats!

Comments

  1. Dave Nadel says

    The line about three clubs starting with a C including Essendon is a bit similar to the English joke – “How many Football League clubs have a swearword in their name? Answer, three. Arsenal, Scunthorpe and Manchester F***ing United.”

  2. That asterisk points to the comment at the end. I heard Mark Fine say he told his children they were allowed to barrack for any Victorian side other than the three C’s.

  3. Sydney Malakellis says

    And you hold the record for best article about Geelong footy records titled “The Record Records” ever published on The Footy Almanac website on June 2, 2011. Thumbs up!

  4. Clearisghted says

    Your friend, Mark Fine, is a man of wisdom and taste.
    Great article.

  5. Spiro, I mean Sydney: Facetiousness has no place in this discussion.

    CS: Mark Fine is always a joy to listen to. The discussion in which that line occured was really quite memorable, and one that I think a lot of almanackers would appreciate. He’d had a particularly bad weekend in sport, and was generally questioning the value of supporting St Kilda. Compelling honesty and ensuing discussion.

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