When VFL stalwart Jack Hollmer takes to the field against the North Ballarat Roosters at Eureka Stadium this Sunday, he will break the record for the most number of games by a VFL listed player at the Cats.
Hollmer will play his 95th senior VFL match and eclipse the record of 2007 VFL premiership captain and Liston Trophy winner James Byrne who retired at the end of 2008.
It means that since the VFL competition was revamped in 2000, only AFL & VFL premiership ruckman Trent West (105 games) would have played more VFL matches with the VFL Cats than 28-year-old Hollmer who was recruited from the Lorne Football Club at the end of 2006.
The popular clubman made his debut for the VFL Cats in Round 10 of 2007 against the now defunct Tasmania Devils at (the then) Skilled Stadium in a side coached by Leigh Tudor, captained by James Byrne and included names such as Tom Hawkins, Tom Lonergan, Josh Hunt, Shannon Byrnes, Henry Playfair, David Johnson and Brent Prismall.
Remarkably only 10 AFL listed players who were on the list in 2007 remain at the Cats today and all of the VFL listed players such as Scott Thompson, Shane Mumford, Matthew Firman, Jay Cheep and Phil Read are long gone.
Despite the disappointment of being dropped from the 2007 VFL Grand Final for Sam Hunt (who was returning from a hamstring injury), being named as an emergency for VFL Grand Finals in both 2012 and 2013 and receiving lucrative offers from clubs all over the land on an annual basis, Hollmer has remained a loyal servant of the Geelong Football Club and become a leader within the VFL side.
As the builder by trade and avid surfer bears down on the 100 game milestone and the mark set by his former his long time teammate Trent West, it has raised the question of what is the most number of ‘reserves’ games ever played at the Cattery? As a result a great deal of work is currently being done behind the scenes to improve the records of the clubs ‘second tier’ statistics up until the current VFL model commenced in 2000.
It is believed the ‘twos’ games record is held by well known club figure Bob Walker, who is estimated to have played over 200 reserves matches during the 1930’s & 40’s. Walker was captain of the Geelong reserves premiership sides in both 1937 and 1938 and then coached the reserves to the premiership in 1948.
While Jack is firmly focused on helping the VFL Cats defeat the North Ballarat Roosters this weekend and putting the side one step closer to cementing a finals spot, he hasn’t yet ruled out having at crack at Bob’s record!
Who has Jack Hollmer played alongside for the VFL Cats?
B: Josh Hunt, Tom Lonergan, Jared Rivers
HB: David Wojcinski, Harry Taylor, Cameron Guthrie
C: Travis Varcoe, Joel Corey, Mitch Duncan
HF: Max Rooke, Cameron Mooney, Shannon Byrnes
F: James Podsiadly, Tom Hawkins, Nathan Ablett
R: Brad Ottens, Paul Chapman, Allen Christensen
I/C: Steven King, Steven Motlop, Troy Selwood, James Byrne
Emergencies: Shane Mumford, Scott Thompson, Jonathan Simpkin
* based on official VFL H&A matches.
