It was the club's twelfth AFL season under senior coach Chris Scott, with Joel Selwood appointed as club captain for a seventh successive year. In the 2022 AFL season Geelong finished the home-and-away season with an 18-4 record, to finish on top of the league ladder to claim the McClelland Trophy, and qualify for the 2022 finals series. The club would win consecutive finals at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to qualify for the 2022 AFL Grand Final where it defeated Sydney 20.13 (133) to 8.4 (52) to claim the club's tenth V/AFL premiership.
Geelong defeated Richmond in a pre-season scratch match at GMHBA Stadium played over six periods with both senior and reserves players. The final score was Geelong 20.27 (147) vs. Richmond 21.16 (142). Geelong also competed in 2022 AAMI Community Series against Gold Coast and were defeated 13.17 (95) vs. Geelong's 11.6 (72). Geelong's home-and-away season began on 19 March against Essendon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Coaching staff
Chris Scott continued as the club's men's senior coach for a twelfth season, and in May 2022, signed a two-year contract extension until the end of the 2024 season.[1]
Following the end of the 2021 season, Geelong overhauled their football department, with Matthew Scarlett, Corey Enright, and Matthew Knights departing.[2] Several former Geelong players joined the football department as their replacements. Coming in as head of medical and conditioning services were Harry Taylor, head of player development Matthew Egan, and development coaches James Kelly and Josh Jenkins. Joining them were Jason Lappin (football analyst) and the recently retired Eddie Betts (development).[3]
Geelong instituted a non-traditional coaching structure in 2022 with the club moving away from assistant coaches being responsible for specific positions.[4][5]
Coached by Shane O'Bree, Geelong entered their reserve players into the Victorian Football League competition for the 22nd season since the competition merged with the AFL Reserves competition in 2000. Former Sydney player Matt Ling was appointed co-captain with Jackson McLachlan.[27]
In the 18-match home-and-away season played over 22 rounds, Geelong did not qualify for the finals, finishing 14th on the ladder with an 8–10 win-loss record. Hit by injuries and availability issues, over 60 players made at least one VFL appearance for the season, with only co-captains Ling and McLachlan featuring in all 18 matches with Daniel Capiron. AFL-listed player Shannon Neale kicked 33 goals from 15 appearances to be the leading goalkicker for the club.
Following the departure of inaugural coach Paul Hood, the club appointed former Geelong player Daniel Lowther as head coach.[29] Lowther had previously joined the AFLW team coaching staff in 2020 as an assistant coach looking after the midfield.
The club qualified for the AFLW finals series for the first time since Geelong's inaugural season in the competition in 2019.
Geelong's score of 15.12 (102) and winning margin of 75 points against Sydney in Round 10 was the club's highest score and biggest win in the AFLW;[36] with the first-half score of 9.6 (60) the highest first-half score in AFLW history.[37]