page_title: Rankin family of Geelong
section_title: Bert, Cliff and Doug Rankin
hierarchical_section_title: Rankin family of Geelong / Bert, Cliff and Doug Rankin
caption_attribution_description: English: Cliff and Bert Rankin standing with their father, Edwin 'Teddy' Rankin on the occasion of them being selected to play in the Victorian State football team. All three men were Geelong footballers.
context_page_description: The Rankins were a pioneering family of the Geelong district. The family produced a dynasty of champion Australian rules footballers, including three captains of the Geelong Football Club, two Carji Greeves medallists and played 582 games for Geelong, between them.
context_section_description: Albert 'Bert' Rankin (1893–1971) features in a number of VFL/AFL family records. In 1912, less than two years after his father Teddy had retired as a player, Rankin was playing senior football, which still stands as the VFL/AFL record. In 1923, Bert Rankin became Geelong captain. When his brother Cliff was appointed vice-captain in the same season, the Rankins became the first brothers to fill both positions in the same VFL team. It was also the first year in which two brothers were to play in the same representative side.
  Bert Rankin's career came to a controversial end in 1923 when, after poor form, the captain was dropped on the eve of the first semi-final. Bert's brother Cliff was so upset that he refused to take the field. The league investigated the matter, suspicious as to why Rankin was dropped and whether this was connected to the defeat of the team. He was awarded Geelong's best and fairest player for the 1917 VFL season and is credited with giving the Geelong club the nickname of "the Cats". After the disappointment of the 1923 season, he left Geelong to coach the Dimboola Football Club.
  Bert's younger brother, Clifford, known as "Cliff" or "Ticker" (1896–1975), also became a champion footballer playing mainly as a forward. He captained Geelong, including the 1925 premiership season. Cliff Rankin also served as playing coach of Geelong from 1925 until his retirement in 1927. He represented Victoria 14 times and was captain of the state team in 1926. Cliff Rankin was Geelong's leading club goal kicker from 1920 to 1923. His career was interrupted by his war service as a gunner during the First World War in France. While with the army he even represented the Australian Imperial Force in the rival code of rugby, playing as the fullback of the Australian team. He was considered by football experts to be the best of the Rankins and was selected in Geelong's "Team of the Century".
  The third son of Teddy Rankin to play for Geelong was Edwin "Doug" Rankin (1915–1987). He played nine games and kicked eight goals for Geelong in the 1938–1939 seasons, before enlisting for active service in the Second World War.
caption: Cliff and Bert Rankin standing with their father, Edwin "Teddy" Rankin, on the occasion of the sons' selection in the 1923 Victorian state team
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