The Geelong Football Club is proud to announce that the trio of Gary Ablett Junior, Joel Selwood and Mark Thompson will be recognised for their service to the Club, at the Geelong Cats Hall of Fame Dinner in July.
One of the greatest players that the game has ever seen, Gary Ablett Junior, already a member in Geelong’s Hall of Fame, will be elevated to Legend Status.
Ablett played 247 games in the blue and white Hoops over 12 years, with his incredible career concluding at the end of the 2020 season.
His extraordinary resume speaks for itself, including two premierships with the Cats in 2007 and 2009, two Brownlow Medals (2009, 2013), eight All-Australian selections, two Carji Greeves Medals and five Leigh Matthews Trophies for the AFLPA’s Most Valuable Player.
The journey at Geelong started in 2001 when he was selected in the National Draft as a Father-Son pick, following in the footsteps of Gary Ablett Senior.
But it was quickly evident that the ‘Little Master’ had an abundance of talent at his disposal, helping the Cats to break their 44-year premiership drought in 2007 and becoming widely regarded as the best player in the competition.
At the end of 2010, Ablett moved to the Gold Coast where he spent seven years and played a further 110 games, before returning home to finish his esteemed career at Kardinia Park.
Ablett played his 350th game in Round 5 of the 2020 season, which was also the same night as Joel Selwood’s 300th, and he featured in the Grand Final before calling time on his illustrious career.
Joel Selwood will be inducted into the Geelong Football Club Hall of Fame, recognising one of the greatest servants and players to ever pull on the Hoops.
His career started when the Cats selected the talented on-baller with the seventh pick in the 2006 National Draft, wasting no time making an impact and earning his AFL debut immediately at the start of the 2007 season.
It proved to be a clear sign of what was to come, as Selwood featured in 21 AFL games across his inaugural season and played an integral part in Geelong’s drought-breaking premiership, while also winning the AFL’s Rising Star award.
The Cats champion would go on to play 355 games for Geelong, the second most in club history, while also winning four premierships, three Carji Greeves Medals and six All-Australian blazers among a plethora of other accolades.
His grit and determination on the field were never questioned, with Selwood winning the AFLPA’s Most Courageous Player Award on four separate occasions, a trait that became a trademark of his career.
But perhaps Selwood’s greatest impact at Geelong was his remarkable leadership, taking over as captain prior to the 2012 season and holding that position until the conclusion of his career, spending 245 games at the helm which remains an AFL record.
Selwood played his final game in the 2022 Grand Final, leading Geelong to victory and becoming a premiership captain to cap off a sensational career, even curling home a stunning goal in the final quarter to put an exclamation point on his journey with the Cats.
At the end of 2023, he was also recognised as a part of GMHBA Stadium’s redevelopment, with the latest grandstand named after him in recognition of his service to the Club.
Mark ‘Bomber’ Thompson will forever be regarded as one of Geelong’s best ever coaches, after a terrific stint at the helm for the Cats that helped to build the most successful era in the Club’s history.
Thompson took the reins in 2000 and the Cats returned to Finals in that season, but they then had to wait a few years before getting a taste of the post-season.
After a Preliminary Final appearance in 2004 and a Semi Final berth in 2005, Geelong missed September action in 2006 despite winning the pre-season NAB Cup, the first piece of silverware the Club had won in quite some time.
Then came the magical 2007 season, with Thompson’s ‘play-on at all cost’ style leading the Cats to play some of the most exciting and sublime football that the game has ever seen.
It culminated in the aforementioned drought-breaking premiership, resulting in a 119-point victory over Port Adelaide which remains the biggest Grand Final win in V/AFL history.
Thompson would also go on to lead the Cats to another premiership in 2009, their second in three years before concluding his time as Geelong’s coach at the end of 2010.
Over an 11-year span, Thompson led Geelong in 242 games which is the third most of any Geelong coach across the club’s history, finishing with two premierships and two selections as the All-Australian coach.
Across his last four seasons with the Cats, Thompson coached the Club in 100 matches and Geelong remarkably won 83 of them, which included the two triumphs on the last Saturday in September.
Along with the recognition of Ablett Junior, Selwood and Thompson, the Geelong Football Club will also honour the newest Life Members and present the esteemed R.J Hickey Award, as part of the Hall of Fame Dinner.
Join past and present greats as we pay tribute to our rich history at one of Geelong’s most prestigious events, which will take place on the 4th of July in the President’s Room at GMHBA Stadium.
Secure your tickets here for this brilliant event and make sure you do not miss a history-making moment at the Geelong Football Club.
