Corio Community Reserve, Hendy Street Corio
The Bay City Buccaneers (now Geelong Buccaneers) was first conceived by a group of friends at a BBQ in 2003. Whilst throwing a football around, one of the guys commented “Wouldn’t it be good to start our own team in Geelong.” That person was Marty Jackson. At the time, there was another team in Geelong and after being told he couldn’t start a new team Marty was ready for the challenge.
Want to play Gridiron?
Geelong Buccaneers Open tryouts for 2014
Come along on Saturday February 1st for our open tryout day at Corio Community Reserve, Hendy Street Corio from 2pm
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Early on there was no name for the new team and it was known only as ‘the club’. It consisted of Marty and his mates running pass patterns on a Sunday afternoon at the Oberon Primary School in Geelong. Soon the name came into being. Geelong is known as the ‘City by the Bay’ and a few of the guys liked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hence the team name, Bay City Buccaneers was born.
Things started to progress when Marty secured the services of Ed Devonish, an experienced player/coach from England. Ed managed to give the early practices some structure and this moved the club forward at an ever increasing speed.
It was at this time Marty stepped up his recruitment campaign and was lucky enough to secure the services of Kriss Guidotti. Kriss was a Victorian State rep as well as an Australian rep and a player coach with over 17 years experience. Kriss was quickly appointed Head coach and soon bought into the fold, his old friend Garry Wilson. Kriss and Garry’s relationship went back to 1988 in Adelaide. Kriss playing for the Victorian Eagles and Garry for the NSW Wolfpack. Garry is a player coach from the NSW league and has a very sharp offense mind. Garry was named Offensive coach and Ed Devonish, Defensive coach.
Soon it was realised the Oberon Primary School was not adequate for our purposes and then Marty Jackson approached his local University. Deakin University along with their student body union D.U.S.A. opened their arms to the Buccs and a great association commenced.
The Buccaneers spent their first five seasons at Deakin University until the drought rendered the playing surface unusable and the Buccs were forced to seek an alternative venue. After two seasons of not having a home and through the help of two local sports teams the Geelong Amateurs and Newcomb Power they were able to ground share and at least have training sessions to keep the team alive.
Against the odds of not to playing home games and the appointment of Garry Wilson as Head Coach and two new coaches, Daniel Noonan (Offence) and Layke Rossiello (Defence), the Bay City Buccaneers made the first ever senior finals appearance in 2009 and there first Vic Bowl Appearance in 2010.
Through extensive negotiations with the City Of Greater Geelong Council, during the summer of 2010 the Bay City Buccaneers secured a home field in Geelong. The Corio Community Reserve in Hendy Street Corio is now the home field of the Bay City Buccaneers Gridiron Club. Working together with the Rosewell Community Group and City Of Greater Geelong, we hope bigger and better things are in the Bay City Buccaneers future.
In late 2012, the club formally changed their name to the Geelong Buccaneers.
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