At the same time the Victorian Football Association was looking to expand, so the two agreed for Geelong West to join the VFA second division in 1963.

Geelong West only spent one season at the top league before being demoted again, but reached the next three Grand Finals, losing in 1966 and 1967, then winning in 1968 to be promoted for the second time.

The club won its third premiership in 1972, completing a perfect season by winning all twenty games it played, to be promoted back to the first division.

On that occasion, they deserved to be competing amongst the best teams and, in 1975, under the coaching of Bill Goggin, Geelong West claimed a surprise first division premiership by defeating Dandenong in the VFA Grand Final.

There became a shortage of quality players willing to travel to Melbourne every second week, particularly at the Under-19 level, which led to the club's onfield position deteriorating through the 1980s.

Geelong West also holds the record for the greatest losing margin in Australian rules football, in any league and at any grade, with a 675-point loss against Williamstown in a 1983 thirds division match.