Geelong Cats are excited to launch their annual Retro Game, with the Cats stepping 100 years back in time to celebrate a Geelong great.

The Cats will pay homage to Edward ‘Carji’ Greeves, celebrating 100 years since he won the first-ever Brownlow Medal.

In Round 19, the Cats host the Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium and will wear a commemorative guernsey honouring Greeves.

The guernsey features an image of the Brownlow Medal with ‘Carji’ Greeves’ signature below it in the spot usually reserved for the Club logo, with the Cats shield instead running on a lower Hoop, as well as a 1924 team list running across the lower back.

The Hoops are textured to give a knitted effect, while the guernsey also bears a collar. Player numbers are printed in a panel, emulating the effect of a sewn-on patch.

Edward ‘Carji’ Greeves played 124 games with the Cats from 1923-1933 and was part of the Geelong’s inaugural VFL premiership in 1925.

Greeves and Geelong saluted again in 1931, with Greeves later inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame and named in the Geelong Team of the Century, with Geelong Football Club naming its best and fairest award in his honour.

In just his second year of VFL football, Greeves claimed the newly-minted Brownlow Medal, named in honour of the late Charles Brownlow, a former Geelong Football Club player and Club secretary, and the VFL president from 1918-1919.

Following Brownlow’s passing in early 1924, the league created the award to be presented to the fairest and best player, with Greeves receiving the inaugural award with seven votes (originally, one vote per game was awarded to the player judged best afield by the umpires).

The 2024 Geelong Cats Retro Guernsey is available now from the Cats Shop.

Geelong hosts Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday 20 July, with first bounce at 7.30pm. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.