# 2016 Geelong Football Club season

The 2016 Geelong Football Club season is currently the club's 117th season of senior competition in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club also fielded its reserves team in the Victorian Football League (VFL) for the 17th season.

## Overview

Prior to the 2016 season, Dale Amos, who had been a member of Geelong's coaching group since 2009, moved to an assistant coaching position at Carlton.

## Season summary
### Regular season

Geelong's 2016 AFL season fixture :
| Round | Date and local time | Opponent | Home | Away | Result | Venue | Attendance | Ladder position |
| Ladder position |||
| 1 | Monday, 28 March (3:20 pm) | Hawthorn | 18.8 (116) | 12.14 (86) | Won by 30 points | MCG | 74,218 | 5th |
| 2 | Sunday, 3 April (1:10 pm) | Greater Western Sydney | 13.11 (89) | 11.10 (76) | Lost by 13 points | Manuka Oval | 13,656 | 6th |
| 3 | Sunday, 10 April (4:40 pm) | Brisbane Lions | 18.17 (125) | 7.14 (56) | Won by 69 points | Simonds Stadium | 23,320 | 5th |
| 4 | Saturday, 16 April (1:45 pm) | Essendon | 6.6 (42) | 9.18 (72) | Won by 30 points | MCG | 42,723 | 4th |
| 5 | Saturday, 23 April (7:15 pm) | Port Adelaide | 8.11 (59) | 16.11 (107) | Won by 48 points | Adelaide Oval | 44,937 | 4th |
| 6 | Saturday, 30 April (7:25 pm) | Gold Coast | 25.18 (168) | 7.6 (48) | Won by 120 points | Simonds Stadium | 23,007 | 2nd |
| 7 | Saturday, 7 May (2:10 pm) | West Coast | 18.15 (123) | 12.7 (79) | Won by 44 points | Simonds Stadium | 25,429 | 2nd |
| 8 | Friday, 13 May (7:20 pm) | Adelaide | 11.6 (72) | 13.20 (98) | Won by 26 points | Adelaide Oval | 53,141 | 2nd |
| 9 | Saturday, 21 May (1:45 pm) | Collingwood | 16.8 (104) | 11.14 (80) | Lost by 24 points | MCG | 59,864 | 2nd |
| 10 | Sunday, 29 May (1:10 pm) | Carlton | 16.8 (104) | 12.13 (85) | Lost by 19 points | Etihad Stadium | 33,535 | 3rd |
| 11 | Saturday, 4 June (4:35 pm) | Greater Western Sydney | 14.14 (98) | 14.4 (88) | Won by 10 points | Simonds Stadium | 22,007 | 3rd |
| 12 | Saturday, 11 June (7:25 pm) | North Melbourne | 15.15 (105) | 12.2 (74) | Won by 31 points | Etihad Stadium | 44,025 | 2nd |
| 13 | Saturday, 18 June (7:25 pm) | Western Bulldogs | 5.13 (43) | 16.4 (100) | Won by 57 points | Etihad Stadium | 41,725 | 1st |
| 14 | Saturday, 25 June (7:25 pm) | St Kilda | 14.9 (93) | 13.12 (90) | Lost by 3 points | Etihad Stadium | 28,745 | 3rd |
| 15 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | 2nd |
| 16 | Friday, 8 July (7:50 pm) | Sydney | 9.6 (60) | 15.8 (98) | Lost by 38 points | Simonds Stadium | 24,339 | 6th |
| 17 | Friday, 15 July (6:10 pm) | Fremantle | 9.7 (61) | 11.12 (78) | Won by 17 points | Domain Stadium | 31,042 | 7th |
| 18 | Saturday, 23 July (7:25 pm) | Adelaide | 12.13 (85) | 7.13 (55) | Won by 30 points | Simonds Stadium | 21,127 | 4th |
| 19 | Friday, 29 July (7:50 pm) | Western Bulldogs | 16.7 (103) | 11.12 (78) | Won by 25 points | Simonds Stadium | 24,331 | 4th |
| 20 | Sunday, 7 August (3:20 pm) | Essendon | 15.10 (100) | 4.10 (34) | Won by 66 points | Etihad Stadium | 29,254 | 5th |
| 21 | Sunday, 14 August (3:20 pm) | Richmond | 12.6 (78) | 10.22 (82) | Won by 4 points | MCG | 45,667 | 4th |
| 22 | Sunday, 21 August (3:20 pm) | Brisbane Lions | 10.9 (69) | 19.15 (129) | Won by 60 points | Gabba | 20,477 | 3rd |
| 23 | Saturday, 27 August (1:45 pm) | Melbourne | 24.11 (155) | 6.8 (44) | Won by 111 points | Simonds Stadium | 24,413 | 2nd |

#### Ladder

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Sydney | 22 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2221 | 1469 | 151.2 | 68 | 2016 finals |
| 2 | Geelong | 22 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2235 | 1554 | 143.8 | 68 | 2016 finals |
| 3 | Hawthorn | 22 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2134 | 1800 | 118.6 | 68 | 2016 finals |
| 4 | Greater Western Sydney | 22 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 2380 | 1663 | 143.1 | 64 | 2016 finals |
| 5 | Adelaide | 22 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 2483 | 1795 | 138.3 | 64 | 2016 finals |
| 6 | West Coast | 22 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 2181 | 1678 | 130.0 | 64 | 2016 finals |
| 7 | Western Bulldogs (P) | 22 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 1857 | 1609 | 115.4 | 60 | 2016 finals |
| 8 | North Melbourne | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 1956 | 1859 | 105.2 | 48 | 2016 finals |
| 9 | St Kilda | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 1953 | 2041 | 95.7 | 48 | |
| 10 | Port Adelaide | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 2055 | 1939 | 106.0 | 40 | |
| 11 | Melbourne | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 1944 | 1991 | 97.6 | 40 | |
| 12 | Collingwood | 22 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 1910 | 1998 | 95.6 | 36 | |
| 13 | Richmond | 22 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 1713 | 2155 | 79.5 | 32 | |
| 14 | Carlton | 22 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 1568 | 1978 | 79.3 | 28 | |
| 15 | Gold Coast | 22 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 1778 | 2273 | 78.2 | 24 | |
| 16 | Fremantle | 22 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 1574 | 2119 | 74.3 | 16 | |
| 17 | Brisbane Lions | 22 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 1770 | 2872 | 61.6 | 12 | |
| 18 | Essendon | 22 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 1437 | 2356 | 61.0 | 12 | |

### Finals series

Geelong's 2016 AFL finals series fixture :
| Round | Date and local time | Opponent | Home | Away | Result | Venue | Attendance |
| Attendance |||
| Qualifying Final | Friday, 9 September (7:50 pm) | Hawthorn | 12.13 (85) | 12.11 (83) | Won by 2 points | MCG | 87,533 |
| Preliminary Final | Friday, 23 September (7:50 pm) | Sydney | 8.12 (60) | 15.7 (97) | Lost by 37 points | MCG | 71,772 |
| As a result of Geelong's loss in their preliminary final, the club was eliminated from the 2016 AFL finals series ||||||||

### Key statistics

Summary of Geelong's key match statistics :
| Round | Result | Kicks | Kicks | Handballs | Handballs | Disposals | Disposals | Free kicks | Free kicks | Clearances | Clearances | Inside-50s | Inside-50s | Contested possessions | Contested possessions | Tackles | Tackles | Hitouts | Hitouts |
| 1 | W | 196 | +10 | 153 | −21 | 349 | −11 | 24 | −4 | 51 | +11 | 61 | +15 | 160 | +19 | 81 | 0 | 56 | −8 |
| 2 | L | 188 | −23 | 157 | −25 | 345 | −48 | 10 | −13 | 26 | −13 | 48 | −8 | 126 | −22 | 50 | −7 | 28 | −13 |
| 3 | W | 221 | +49 | 175 | +15 | 396 | +64 | 32 | +2 | 40 | +12 | 69 | +34 | 137 | +11 | 73 | +21 | 38 | +7 |
| 4 | W | 197 | −10 | 162 | −57 | 359 | −67 | 16 | −8 | 27 | −11 | 50 | +10 | 123 | −9 | 71 | +12 | 26 | −6 |
| 5 | W | 212 | +59 | 160 | +4 | 372 | +63 | 25 | +2 | 46 | +12 | 58 | +13 | 165 | +39 | 79 | −2 | 60 | +32 |
| 6 | W | 252 | +102 | 193 | +37 | 445 | +139 | 16 | −6 | 42 | +18 | 62 | +28 | 148 | +22 | 76 | +13 | 32 | −7 |
| 7 | W | 220 | +40 | 162 | −15 | 382 | +25 | 27 | +6 | 44 | +12 | 60 | +17 | 135 | −2 | 77 | +22 | 39 | −7 |
| 8 | W | 213 | −7 | 169 | +63 | 382 | +56 | 14 | −12 | 42 | +2 | 61 | +17 | 164 | +8 | 81 | +1 | 48 | +5 |
| 9 | L | 192 | −25 | 149 | −4 | 341 | −29 | 23 | −3 | 32 | +1 | 54 | +8 | 138 | −15 | 85 | +15 | 38 | +17 |
| 10 | L | 196 | −15 | 203 | +26 | 399 | +11 | 10 | −12 | 35 | −7 | 51 | −9 | 139 | +3 | 69 | −11 | 45 | +14 |
| 11 | W | 222 | −2 | 165 | +31 | 387 | +29 | 29 | +13 | 49 | +3 | 76 | +28 | 174 | +30 | 61 | −18 | 45 | −6 |
| 12 | W | 207 | +18 | 173 | +41 | 380 | +59 | 18 | −1 | 47 | +14 | 57 | +14 | 144 | +37 | 46 | +5 | 35 | −9 |
| 13 | W | 218 | +32 | 167 | −22 | 385 | +10 | 20 | −1 | 36 | +6 | 44 | −2 | 125 | −12 | 78 | +19 | 39 | +4 |
| 14 | L | 216 | +12 | 170 | +19 | 386 | +31 | 15 | −1 | 27 | −8 | 52 | −2 | 138 | +8 | 52 | −11 | 34 | +4 |
| 15 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 16 | L | 193 | −8 | 144 | −28 | 337 | −36 | 24 | +1 | 34 | −1 | 52 | +9 | 153 | −4 | 75 | −11 | 33 | −2 |
| 17 | W | 213 | +23 | 190 | +23 | 403 | +46 | 20 | 0 | 35 | −4 | 50 | +10 | 150 | +11 | 84 | +6 | 36 | −4 |
| 18 | W | 223 | 0 | 191 | +67 | 414 | +67 | 15 | −3 | 39 | −3 | 55 | +9 | 168 | +18 | 84 | +13 | 39 | −9 |
| 19 | W | 215 | +28 | 181 | +1 | 396 | +29 | 22 | 0 | 38 | +5 | 47 | −6 | 177 | +27 | 83 | +2 | 55 | +27 |
| 20 | W | 208 | −24 | 196 | +74 | 404 | +50 | 16 | +2 | 28 | −7 | 58 | +21 | 128 | +27 | 37 | −12 | 42 | +13 |
| 21 | W | 224 | −12 | 176 | +34 | 400 | +22 | 23 | −8 | 32 | +8 | 66 | +27 | 139 | +24 | 52 | +2 | 26 | −4 |
| 22 | W | 219 | +30 | 183 | +28 | 402 | +58 | 18 | −4 | 41 | −2 | 61 | +21 | 139 | +23 | 64 | +2 | 36 | −7 |
| 23 | W | 219 | +42 | 179 | −2 | 398 | +40 | 20 | +5 | 41 | +10 | 59 | +16 | 162 | +36 | 74 | +9 | 42 | −3 |
| QF | W | 197 | −43 | 156 | +5 | 353 | −38 | 20 | +2 | 39 | +1 | 47 | −9 | 170 | +52 | 63 | −2 | 38 | −2 |
| QF | L | 173 | −41 | 190 | −28 | 363 | −13 | 24 | +2 | 34 | −6 | 72 | +32 | 173 | +6 | 81 | −21 | 48 | +24 |

## Honours
### Milestones

* Round 1 - Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong debut), Lachie Henderson (Geelong debut), Zac Smith (Geelong debut)
* Round 3 - Tom Ruggles (AFL debut)
* Round 12 - Steven Motlop (100 AFL games)
* Round 17 - Andrew Mackie (250 AFL games), Cameron Guthrie (100 AFL games)
* Round 18 - Sam Menegola (AFL debut)
* Round 19 - Corey Enright (326 AFL games, a new Geelong record), Jimmy Bartel (300 AFL games)

### Others

* Round 1 - Patrick Dangerfield (2016 AFL Mark of the Year nomination)
* Round 2 - Tom Hawkins (2016 AFL Goal of the Year round winner)
* Round 4 - Zac Smith (2016 AFL Mark of the Year round winner)
* Round 7 - Josh Caddy (2016 AFL Goal of the Year nomination)
* Round 8 - Steven Motlop (2016 AFL Goal of the Year nomination)
* Round 9 - Tom Hawkins (2016 AFL Mark of the Year nomination)
* Round 12 - Steven Motlop (2016 AFL Goal of the Year nomination)
* Round 17 - Patrick Dangerfield (2016 AFL Goal of the Year nomination)