But what about some of those names you might not know!
geelongcats.com.au has put together a list of the 10 strangest names to play VFL/AFL football for the club.
Bill Batty
Just the one season for the Cats with nine games and one goal but with a name like that not many would be ready to put the dukes up with him.
Edgar Stubbs
The great author/poet Edgar Allan Poe may have been the inspiration for the Cats own Edgar who managed five game and three goals for the Cats in the early 1900s.
Sid Smith
The Cats were lucky enough to have not only Sid snr play for them in 1911 but also his son Sid jnr in 1952. Let’s hope none of their teammates had a stutter!
Spiro Malakellis
A crafty backpocket, Spiro was a part of the Cats side in the early 90s along with his brother Tony. He managed 67 games in his time at the Cats.
Austin McCrabb
One of the most different “Cats” to pull on the blue and white, Austin McCrabb represented Geelong for 36 games in the late 80s before heading to the Hawks for another nine. Also once road a bike around Australia.
Mario Bortolotto
Not to be confused with Italian soccer star Mario Balotelli, Bortolotto played 14 games for the Cats across 1979 and 1980.
Garnet Lamb
With a name more like a recipe than a football player, Garnet Lamb managed nine games for the Cats in the late 1920s. Funnily enough four Lambs played as Cats (Lindsay, Jamie, Milton the others).
Ramsay Bogunovich
The only thing bigger than his name was his size! Bogunovich was a 200cm, 103kg ruckman who played in three consecutive reserve premierships from 1980 to 1982.
Mac Stokes
The original M Stokes prior to our current premiership hero didn’t quite reach the heights of Mathew. Just nine games for a great name.
Ivan Baumgartner
Baumgartner is translated to English as “Tree Gardener” which is ironic as he finished runner up in the 1955 Gardiner Medal for best player in the reserves competition.
Honourable mentions
Aubrey Comben
Cyril Mulroyan
Alby Bendle
Arch Bell
Milton Lamb
Phonse Marshall
Howard Hawking
Harold Conradi
Les Laver
Ossy Armstrong
