While Cats fans, sponsors, players and officials hung on the words of coach Chris Scott about what they could expect out of this football year, there was just as much interest in events that took place 100-odd years ago.

Geelong announced the elevation to official legend status of former champion Peter Burns, and former player and long-time administrator Charles Brownlow, the man after whom the game's highest individual honour is named.

Yet even that was perhaps trumped by the surprise appearance of Brownlow's grandson, also Charles Brownlow.

It was only recently that the club was able to find a descendant of their legendary administrator. And the Cats were suitably thrilled to have the 81-year-old travel from Mackay in northern Queensland to witness a great moment for his family's name.

The youngest Charles Brownlow is in fact fourth in a line. His grandfather, the second, gave Geelong 42 years' service as a player and administrator.

Brownlow played in Geelong's 1882 VFA premiership team and captained the club to the flag again the following year in just his third season. In 1884, he took up an administrative position on the committee, and went on to serve as Geelong secretary for 36 years.

Brownlow played a pivotal part in the formation of the VFL, which began in 1897.When he was made a VFL life member in 1921, the league announced in its citation that "no one, at any time, has been more worthy of the highest distinction it is in the power of the league to confer".

On his death in 1924, the VFL decided to present a gold medal for the best and fairest player each season, ensuring the Brownlow name would become a household one.

Burns is a name similarly revered at the Cattery. Born in 1866, he would become acknowledged as one of the greatest players of his time, playing in four premierships with South Melbourne before joining Geelong in 1892.

Historian Mark Pennings has described him as "arguably the best player of the [19th] century".

Burns was the first footballer to reach the 300-game milestone, but was never suitably acknowledged for the feat because his career straddled both the VFA and the beginnings of the VFL.

Burns played his 302nd and last game for Geelong in 1902. It would take another 35 years for the next player - Collingwood's Gordon Coventry - to reach the 300 mark. After retiring, he became Geelong's official timekeeper, a position he held until 1941, giving the club 55 years' service.

Brownlow and Burns become the 23rd and 24th official Geelong legends, joining the likes of Reg Hickey, Bob Davis, "Polly" Farmer, Doug Wade, Bill Goggin, Gary Ablett senior, and, more recently, Matthew Scarlett.

"These two men both epitomise, in every way, what it means to be a legend of our club," said Geelong vice-president Bob Gartland told the crowd at the function.

"Both of these men have not been considered in the past as their careers straddled two competitions - the VFA and VFL, and their history as players, was lost, in what we have referred to in the past as "The Missing Years", the period prior to the VFL's formation in 1897.

"Our club now embraces this period as an integral part of our history, and tonight we add another page to that story."