The Geelong Football Club has a rich history of Indigenous footballers.

As part of our celebrations for Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round, we take a look back at some of the greats to pull on the blue and white hoops.

Albert ‘Pompey’ Austin started it all back in 1872 when he played one game for Geelong after his athletic ability caught the eye at a local sports competition.

That day, Austin played alongside the man credited with founding the game of Australian Rules Football, Tom Wills.

While Austin never played for the Cats again, he paved the way for future Indigenous players at the club.

Nakia Cockatoo poses for a photo beside the iconic Polly Farmer mural.


Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer is well known among Geelong fans and understandably so, as his impact on the club was profound.

In his 101 games at Geelong, Farmer claimed two best and fairest awards, captained the side for three seasons and helped guide the Cats to the 1963 premiership.

Farmer revolutionised the way the game was played with his ruckwork and handballing and was named as the starting ruck in the AFL’s Team of the Century and captain of the Indigenous Team of the Century.

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Gary Malarkey played 172 games for the Cats as a dour defender, lining up on some of the greatest forwards the game has seen.

Recognised with numerous State of Origin guernseys, Malarkey is seen as one of the premier full back’s in AFL/VFL history.

Malarkey wore the famous number five jumper before his first retirement in 1984 but upon his return to the Cats, switched to the number 6 guernsey, previously worn by fellow Indigenous Cat Rod Waddell.

Waddell was a pacey midfielder who featured on 20 occasions for the Cats in the early 80s.

In the 2005 National Draft, the Cats drafted a pair of future club greats in Mathew Stokes and Travis Varcoe, who both became dual premiership players.

Varcoe’s electrifying pace and elite foot skills saw him fill a variety of positions during his time with the Cats.

His three-goal performance in the 2011 AFL Grand Final will never be forgotten by Geelong fans and it highlighted how damaging he could be at his best.

Stokes was a crafty forward who was a key member in one of the greatest teams of the modern era.

He was loved by fans for his selfless play and knack for kicking tough goals.

Matthew Stokes celebrates the 2011 Premiership win with fans.


In 2013, Stokes reinvented himself as a midfielder, racking up a career-high 633 disposals (8^th in the AFL) and 348 handballs (3^rd) to become one of the Cats’ most important players, highlighted by his fourth-place finish in that season’s Carji Greeves Medal count.

Varcoe and Stokes went on to continue their careers with Collingwood and Essendon respectively, with Varcoe still representing the Magpies today.

A handful of Geelong’s Indigenous players have represented multiple teams with current players Steven Motlop (Port Adelaide), Allen Christensen (Brisbane) and Joel Hamling (Western Bulldogs & Fremantle) all continuing to have an impact with their new clubs.

Motlop played 135 games with the Cats and finished in second place in the Cats’ 2015 best and fairest while Christensen was a key member of the 2011 premiership.

Hamling was unable to break into the Cats’ backline during his time at the club but went on to become a premiership player with the Western Bulldogs in 2016.

Nathan Djerrkura also moved on to the Bulldogs after being drafted by the Cats while the likes of Justin Murphy and Ronnie Burns also had success at other clubs.

Burns was a fan favourite at Geelong throughout his 134 games and was the club’s leading goalkicker for five consecutive seasons from 1997-2001.

Ronnie Burns celebrates kicking a goal against the Hawks.


Brad Hartman was a promising young Cat after being drafted in 2012 but decided to retire from the game after five AFL matches.

There were also numerous players who spent time on the Cats’ list that didn’t take the field but remain part of the club’s strong indigenous connection.

The likes of Zac Bates, Liam Bedford, Adam Varcoe, Ezra Bray, Shawn Lewfatt, Russell Jeffrey and Dowie Bux, remain fond in the memories of fans who saw them through the reserves, but the group never played senior football in blue and white.

The Cats currently have seven players on the list of aboriginal descent.

Tim Kelly, Brandan Parfitt, Jamaine Jones, Nakia Cockatoo and Quinton Narkle have all featured at AFL level while youngsters Blake Schlensog and Nathan Kreuger were part of the Cats’ most recent draft class.