With the Cats set to take on Hawthorn this week, we look back at 10 games that has shaped one of the AFL’s greatest rivalries.
The two teams have played each other 171 times in V/AFL history, with the Cats winning 55% of those games (94-1-76) including nine of the past 13 clashes in more recent times.
Always a feature of the AFL fixture, the Cats and Hawks will clash for the second time this year when Hawthorn visit GMHBA Stadium on Saturday, only the third time the Hawks have travelled down the highway in 18 years.
Take a look back at 10 games that shaped one of the greatest rivalries of the modern era.
1. 1963 VFL Grand Final
An incredible crowd of 101,209 packed into the MCG to see the first meeting on this list, with the Cats defeating Hawthorn by 49 in the 1963 Grand Final to claim the club’s sixth premiership.
Geelong was coached by the legendary Bob Davis, with the team including the likes of Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer, Bill Goggin and Doug Wade.
The Cats piled on six goals to none in the final quarter to run away with the win, while Davis labelled Hawthorn “the roughest, dirtiest side that [he] had ever seen,” laying the foundation for an iconic rivalry.
2. 1989 VFL Grand Final
Widely regarded as one of the greatest matches in Australian football history, the Cats fell to the Hawks by six points in the 1989 Grand Final in a spectacle that had a little bit of everything.
The Cats booted eight goals in the final quarter to close a 36 point margin to just six points, but it wasn’t enough as the Hawks hung on in one of the great Grand Finals.
Gary Ablett Senior booted nine goals and won the Norm Smith Medal, one of just four players in V/AFL history to win the award in a losing side.
3. 2009 Round 17 – Bartel Kicks the Winning Point
One of the early instalments of the “Kennett Curse”, Jimmy Bartel was the hero kicking a behind after the siren to record their second straight win over the Hawks.
The Cats trailed by 22 points at three quarter time, before kicking five goals to one in the final term to set up Bartel’s big moment after the final bell.
Joel Selwood was enormous picking up 42 disposals, nine clearances and laying 11 tackles while Max Rooke booted a team high three goals.
4. 2010 Round 15 - Cats Hang on in an instant classic
Geelong extended their winning streak against Hawthorn to four, in another nailbiter which saw the Cats hang on for a two point victory.
Hawthorn had the final two scores but couldn’t find the big sticks as the Cats narrowly hung on for another big win.
Mathew Stokes piloted the Cats with an incredible performance, picking up 22 disposals and booting four goals.
5. 2012 Round 2 - The other heartstopper in 2012
Every Geelong fan remembers the famous goal after the siren win in 2012, but the clash in round two was equally as exciting as the Cats came from the clouds to pinch a two point win over the Hawks.
The Cats trailed by as much as 21 points in the third term, but four goals to none in the final quarter helped the Cats record their eighth straight win over Hawthorn.
James Podsiadly was the hero for Geelong kicking five, including the last three of the game.
6. 2012 Round 19 – The Cat still on the back
Of course we couldn’t mention 2012 without the goal, when Tom Hawkins broke Hawthorn hearts with an absolute missile after the siren.
The game itself was fascinating, with the Cats booting nine goals in the first quarter to jump out to a 51 point lead, before the Hawks came charging home to set up a grandstand finish.
Hawkins slotted a late goal to keep the Cats within reach, before the game finished with the ball in his hands at the top of the 50 metre arc.
The big Cat launched through his sixth goal of the night, as the Cats recorded their ninth straight win over the arch nemesis in the most dramatic fashion possible.
7. 2013 Round 1 – Cats comeback from 30 points down to extend streak
Opening the 2013 season, the script was flipped from their last meeting as Hawthorn jumped the Cats to take a 30-point lead midway through the second quarter.
On the back of another Joel Selwood masterclass, Geelong charged back after half time booting eight of ten goals to reach an unassailable lead in front of 76,300 fans at the MCG.
The winning streak reached double digits with the Cats 10th consecutive win over the Hawks.
8. 2016 Qualifying Final – Smith Miss Sends Cats to a Prelim
Who could forget when the two teams clashed in the 2016 finals series, when villain turned hero Isaac Smith missed the chance to send Hawthorn to a Preliminary final after the final siren.
It was a typical see-sawing encounter between the two powerhouses, with neither team able to breakaway with seven points the biggest margin at any break.
Josh Caddy put the Cats in front late, before the Smith set shot sailed right as Geelong held on.
9. Round 17 2017 – Danger Morphs into Prime Lockett
It was hearts in mouths for Geelong fans in 2017 when Patrick Dangerfield limped off with an injury, before the champion returned to the field and put on a show.
Playing out of the goal square, Dangerfield recorded 11 scoring shots and booted five goals to help the Cats hang on for another nail-biting three point win.
Once again it was Isaac Smith who had a chance late, but it drifted right as Geelong closed out another cliffhanger.
10. Round 4 2023 – Cats Demolish Hawks with Perfect Quarter
The Cats were struggling in the early stages of 2023, dropping their first three games and trailing Hawthorn by nine points at the main break in round four.
Nobody could have predicted the sheer carnage the Cats would inflict, piling on 10 goals in a near perfect third term, which saw Geelong outscore Hawthorn 65-0 in one quarter.
The Cats would go on to close out a big 82 point victory, highlighted by a seven goal haul from Jeremy Cameron who also famously collided with an umpire.
