From formation to A-Grade: Old Geelong Women’s makes history

Old Geelong Football Club opened its 2025 season in historic fashion, with its women’s side marking their first year in the William Buck Premier competition with two wins straight out of the gates to open their campaign — a milestone that reflects the rapid rise and remarkable progression of a program that didn’t exist less than a decade ago. From humble beginnings in 2017 to an inaugural senior premiership in Premier B and promotion in 2024, the women’s team has become a symbol of growth, resilience, and pride within the club’s broader community.

The OGs celebrated a historic milestone on April 5, playing — and winning — their first-ever game in VAFA’s top flight in the club’s 71-year history. The women’s side delivered a strong four-quarter performance to defeat Premier stalwarts West Brunswick by ten points in Round 1.

Old Geelong General Manager Jake Ward spoke to the historical relevance of the win and participating in the Premier Division for the very first time as a club.

“It is a huge milestone for the club to have a side playing at the highest level for the first time.”

Ward also referenced the journey the club has been on over the past few years and the upwards trajectory the OGs are trending towards.

“2024 was arguably the most successful season in the club’s history with an inaugural Senior Women’s premiership and promotion to A Grade, coupled with the Senior Men’s side playing a B Grade final. It has been great to see the Women’s side carry the momentum through into 2025.”

This moment for the OGs has long been in the making, with many at the club remembering when the women’s side was first assembled in 2017. Peter Lemon, a long-serving volunteer with Old Geelong, who has been at the club since the 1960s as a photographer, secretary, and general committee member, reflected fondly on the formation of the women’s team.

“The explosion of it in 2017 was extraordinary.”

However, Lemon admitted that the success the team has seen was not something he had envisioned after the first few turnouts in 2017.

“I guess the thought of winning a Premier B premiership never entered my mind. I thought it would never get off the ground — but many years ago I thought smartphones were a fad, so…”

The formation of the inaugural women’s side in 2017 centred on building foundations for a program that would hopefully thrive in the future. Naturally, there has been plenty of turnover in the squad since then, with only Brooke McKay and Annabel Rafferty still part of the current OGs side who debuted that year. The two have endured all the trials and tribulations with the club — from the first game to the first premiership loss, and then securing the club’s first Premier B premiership.

McKay, who captained the OGs in 2023 and 2024, explained the whirlwind journey she has been on since making her first appearance as an 18-year-old.

“The first year of Old Geelong Women’s feels like a lifetime ago. Not only were we learning how to play, but we were figuring out if we even liked playing at all.”

The former captain referenced the development the club, and particularly the women’s program, has seen since 2017, culminating in last year’s premiership and the strong start to the 2025 season in William Buck Premier.

“Over the years, the club has experienced a huge period of growth. As we proved ourselves each year, naturally our level of commitment to success and skill has grown alongside us.”

The OGs women’s program was introduced at a time when the AFLW had recently been created, sparking a new wave of talent that McKay believes has been evident at Old Geelong.

“The Women’s program began during such a transformative time for women’s football. We’re seeing players coming through now who grew up with a footy in hand. You can see that the skill and strategy come naturally to them in a way it never did for us.”

Coach Jack Crameri was appointed senior coach at the start of 2022, and Jake Ward suggests that this was the main catalyst that pushed the women’s side forward towards the successes it is currently reaping.

“We had a difficult year in 2022 with fewer players than in the past, but Jack and a core group of players were able to create a strong culture, which set the foundation for the success we had in 2024.”

The build-up to Old Geelong’s first match in William Buck Premier Women’s was filled with anticipation — but it quickly turned into celebration. Coming in as underdogs and the new kids on the block against a seasoned West Brunswick side, the team’s Round 1 win sparked a wave of excitement that rippled through the club and the broader community.

“Disbelief, pride, and reassurance. Whilst I knew that we had just achieved something big, it still felt incredibly surreal,” McKay said.

Jake Ward added:

“There was a sense of nervousness as the underdogs in A Grade, so to be able to start strong with a convincing win against an incredibly formidable side in West Brunswick was something that garnered a lot of excitement amidst the side and community following the game.”

It was a moment that not only marked a new chapter for the women’s program but also set a bold tone for the future.

“We’ve got ambitions of being a successful team in Premier football and don’t see a reason why we can’t be competing with the Old Scotch’s and St Kevin’s and Kew’s and Caulfield Grammarians in the coming years. I’m not putting any limits on what we can do this year,” Coach Jack Crameri said.

Beyond 2025, the club’s strong ties to co-educational feeder schools Geelong Grammar and Geelong College continue to strengthen its future. The rise of the women’s program has helped not only attract graduates but also players with significant VFLW experience — setting the stage for even bigger strides into the future.

Old Geelong’s historic A-Grade win may have been years in the making, but for a club that continues to blend tradition with ambition, it’s clear the journey has only just begun. And if they need any further motivation, they can find it from their very own Peter Lemon:

“Remember that one feather does not an eagle make. Ride the wave, learn, and put in the work.”